The Goblin and the Small Town Sheriff
by Twyla Mercedes
Summary: Emma & Gold come together in a compromising position & decide to use a phony engagement to cover their indiscretion. Will they, should they commit to each other?
1. Set Up

+ + + + + _Set Up_

She was on her side, pulled into the man's body, with his left arm under her body coming up to circle her waist, holding her to him. His right arm rested across her arm and his hand gently cradling her breasts. She could feel his soft breath on her neck.

She tried to shift, but the man pulled her in even closer. He began to circle his thumb around a nipple and she felt him begin to ply kisses into the nape of her neck, sending shivers down her body. She also felt him begin to press against her hind side and it was pretty clear that he had a little morning wood going for him. Good grief. She had to get out of this.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" she realized she was talking in whisper tones, but trying to get some volume to arouse, no, not arouse (_too late for that)_, wake up the man. There was some shifting and she was able to turn herself around to see her bed partner.

Blue eyes met dark, dark brown ones.

"Oh no." If there were one hundred men, hell, one thousand men, in Storybrooke, in Maine, who would have been the one thousandth she would have wanted to wake up, naked, in a strange bed with? Well, here he was.

"Gold," she said. She watched him. He was struggling to clear his eyes, _and probably his head too. _She saw him lick his lips, swallow and grimace. She saw him glance across the room, following the same progression of reasoning that she had. She knew that complicated, convoluted brain was processing the total situation. . . a strange room, clothes scattered, no recall of events, naked woman.

He delicately released her. "Ms. Swan." He pulled himself up to a sitting position and only hesitated a moment before speaking. "Apparently, we have been drugged."

"My thoughts exactly," she agreed, also sitting up, pulling a sheet up around herself. "What, who, why?"

He continued considering. "Maybe some type of Rohypnol compound. Regina. To cause harm to you and me. What's the last thing you remember?"

"At Ashley's and Sean's wedding party. I was off duty. Somebody offered me a drink. I turned them down and got a ginger ale. I then remember feeling really, really hot. I left the party. . . " she couldn't remember anything more.

"I recall getting a single glass of white wine. Then, like you, getting really hot and leaving the party. I remember I came upon you on the path. You had removed your jacket and you were unbuttoning your shirt. I remember thinking it was an odd behavior on your part."

"Good lord, I hope I didn't disrobe right out in the garden."

"I hope not," he agreed. "Judging by the clothes I can see from here, we must have been mostly attired when we entered this room, unless we just carried our garments with us."

Emma leaned over her side of the bed and at the bottom of the bed she was ble to retrieve some silk boxers, which she tossed over to him. "Do you see any of my underwear?" she asked him, not finding any of her own undergarments on her side of the bed.

He pulled on his underwear and swung his legs out of his side of the bed, got out of the bed and went for his pants, which were near the door. "Yes, ma'am." He didn't make any comment as he handed her a red lace thong and matching lace brassiere. Emma wasn't sure she was any better off putting them back on her self than she had been when she wasn't wearing anything. His eyes skimmed her warmly, appreciation evident.

"A gentleman would avert his eyes," she couldn't stop herself from saying.

He gave a short laugh. "Maybe, but I think he would still peak. And we both know, I am no gentleman. You're a beautiful woman, Ms. Swan."

Emma found her own pants below the bottom of the bed and slipped them on, grateful for some protection. She watched while he checked his wallet, wondering what he was doing. After checking his wallet, he turned back to her. "Ms. Swan, are you on the pill?"

She wanted to sputter that was personal information, but realized why he was asking. "No, I don't get out often enough."

"Well, unless you carry condoms, I suspect that we engaged in sexual activity without any protection." He held up several intact packets that he had pulled from his wallet.

"Oh shit," she said succinctly.

"I would suggest a morning after pill, unless you want to risk a pregnancy, although I would also assure you that I could and would financially support any offspring that might result from last night."

She gave him a tight smile. "You're a real winner. I'll stop by the drug store on the way out." She had found her shirt and put it on, feeling a little more sure of herself than she had earlier. "I feel like we've been set up. What are we going to do?"

Gold had sat back on the bed and leaned back against the pillow. He had put on his dark shirt, not quite buttoning it up to the collar. He looked younger and more relaxed than she typically saw him. She watched as his eyes flicked back and forth as if he were playing out different scenarios and possible futures _which he was. _

"As I see it, we have three options. Regina is most likely hoping that you will cry Rohypnol rape, which would probably result in me going to jail – who would believe you would willingly get into _my_ bed – it must have been drugs and coercion. That would get me out of the way, leave her free reign. I imagine it would only be a short while until she was able to concoct something against you, and you would lose Henry."

"Lovely, well, I saw your face this morning. You had no idea of what had happened. You're as much a victim as I am. And you aren't the type for Rohypnol. I would think you'd just make a woman disappear, have her in a dungeon somewhere with some shackles. And when you got tired of her I suspect I'd meet you in the forest some early morning with you carrying a shovel burying some odd body part.

"I wouldn't do shackles," he remarked, blandly. "They break the skin and make it bleed. The skin doesn't heal up because of the continual abrasion. If I wanted to enjoy a woman's body, I wouldn't mar it so."

Emma grimaced, "Thanks for sharing that. . . I guess. Back to our dilemna. Why can't we just tell people the truth?"

He smiled. "Ah, Ms. Swan. Open honesty, the best policy. The second possibility. I think Regina would also be happy with this option. I can see the headlines in _The Daily Mirror_, "We elected her to stand up to Mr. Gold, but she chooses to . . ."

Emma finished for him, "lay down with him."

He nodded. "Even though you put me in jail that one time, I think that sleeping with me would go a ways towards undermining your hard position against me. And I'm sure there are incriminatory pictures. Most likely, that path would lead to a recall election for some. . . whatever reason. You would lose your job and likely not have a way to support yourself here and, again, lose Henry."

Emma sighed and sat back on the bed. "Then what do we do?"

He sat quietly. Emma looked back at him and saw he was watching her. "Well?" she asked. "Your brain is used to coming up with devious, underhanded schemes. What do you suggest?"

He smiled at her. "I'm not sure you will like it."

"I like the idea of losing contact with Henry even less. What do you have?"

He spoke slowly. "Public displays of affection are tolerated between married couples and, " he paused, "especially, newly engaged couples. I'm suggesting we announce our engagement."

Emma was not convinced. "What good will that do? People won't believe I've willingly agreed to that."

"Not at first. They will think I've got some hold over you. But soon, they will see that it is you who has had a tempering effect on me. People who owe me will come to you as an intermediary and you will graciously intervene with me. . . and you will be successful in convincing me to give people extra time to pay their bills, or waive the interest on their loan or," he grinned at her _a little scary_, "keep their first born."

"Do you think people will believe that?" she was dubious.

"A lot depends on how good an actress you can be. Can you convince people you're in love with me?"

"Can you convince people you love me?" she shot back.

"Oh, I don't have to. I'm a heartless bastard. I want to marry you for your lovely body and the only way I can get you in my bed is through a marriage proposal," he explained, and then added more kindly. "I'm afraid the burden will fall upon you, my sweet. You will have to convince people that you have seen a side of me they have not, that I'm really a worthwhile person, maybe with a heart of gold buried deep down within me. Think you can do it?"

"That's going to be hard, but I'm pretty motivated. I don't want to lose my son." She had a sudden second thought. "How do we get out of the engagement?"

He closed his eyes. "Well, again, I see several possibilities. We get married."

"Unlikely, since I don't really like you."

"Or you realize that I really am a heartless bastard and you dump me. Your friends get to say, 'I told you so,' and you get on with your life and I with mine."

Emma nodded. "That sounds most likely. So, we start out by sharing our happy news with a few good friends and then _The Daily Mirror." _ Emma started out the door and had a memory flash. She and Gold, here at the door, pulling off each other's clothes, she kissing him down his chest, pulling down his pants, kneeling before him and continuing on down to his. . . Oh lord.

"Are you alright?" he had noticed the change.

She was uncomfortable sharing. "I . . . I just had a flash of memory of something we did right here, last night. Something I did to you. Jes. We were so drugged."

Gold stood a moment searching his memory. It was a long moment before he spoke, "You took my pants off and then performed. . ."

She interrupted. "Yeah, I think I did." She actually felt herself blushing.

"Well, I hope at some point, I reciprocated." He shook his head. "I don't know if it's good or bad that we don't remember." After a brief moment, he corrected himself. "No, it's bad. I've spend the night with one of the most beautiful women in town and I'm struggling to remember any part of it. I feel cheated."

Before they left the room, he pulled off an antique silver ring, very old, with several small diamonds. "Your engagement ring," he explained. "Bring it by the shop later and I will help get it sized for you.

"It's beautiful," she had seen him wear this particular ring often and had admired it.

"You will appreciate that this was part of the price Regina paid me to bring your son to Storybrook," he shared with her.


	2. Illness

+ + + + + _Illness_

So many people were sick. All the kingdoms had been infected with a delirious fever. Children and old people were dying with the illness, but also younger, healthier adults were weakening and some were not surviving. The physicians, the mages, the wise men and women from all the kingdoms had convened at the castle of Prince James. Even the Queen had sent an emissary for her people were sickened also.

"There is only one thing that might cure the illness," Doc pronounced. "There is a rumor that there is a Blue Crystal that is kept by the Snow Queen in the Far North. When moonlight shines through it, the patient will recover from the fever."

James consulted with the brave Huntsman who spoke for the Queen. "This may be our only hope. We can send a group to bargain with the Snow Queen to borrow the Blue Crystal."

A party of nineteen men and one drawf were prepared for the perilous journey. They chose men who had had previous cold weather and snow experience and packed warm clothing and hearty food on sturdy ponies. James and the Huntsman would lead the party, relying on the drawf's, Grumpy's, knowledge of mountains and rocks.

They were riding along and had reached the topmost point of James's kingdom. The roads were still good and still safe. Grumpy was sharing with the group, "I've only been that far north once. The cold is incredible. The Snow Queen is not very friendly, but usually just lets the weather and the terrain take people out. I met a few people who thought they had seen her. She's beautiful but not human. Blue skinned and silver haired."

"Any idea what she might bargain for?" asked James.

"She likes children and often keeps a human child for company."

"Well, we aren't taking anybody's child with us," said James. "I'm hoping we can reason with her."

Grumpy shook his head. This was not going to turn out well.


	3. 500

+ + + + + _$500.00_

Going downstairs was the most walk-of-shame experience Emma had ever completed. She had re-attired and combed her hair, but still looked like she was wearing yesterday's clothes _which she was_. Other than a few wrinkles in his shirt, which were covered up by his suit jacket, Gold looked perfectly put together.

Thank goodness, the inn, except for Granny, was mostly empty. There were several people still cleaning up odds and ends leftover from the party but things looked almost back together.

Granny looked up from the front desk. She hesitated a moment before asking, "Are you two all right?"

Emma glanced at Gold who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "We're fine." She approached the desk and asked in a quiet voice. "Do we owe you an apology, Granny? I think Mr. Gold and I may have gotten a little carried away. We'd had some good news last night and maybe celebrated too much."

Granny looked at the couple closely before responding "Well, you two were acting as if you'd had way too much to drink." She looked at Gold. "And you gave me this for the Honeymoon Suite," she pulled out five one hundred dollar bills.

"Keep it, my dear," he smiled graciously. "There will be an announcement in the paper that may clear things up," he added.

He escorted Emma to the door. He held her arm in a partial embrace while he shared some final words. "I suggest you talk with whatever friends you want to tell first, then this afternoon, I want you to meet with me at _The Daily Mirror_ to post the engagement announcement. Will 1:00 work for you?" He paused a moment. "Shall we meet for lunch first? 12:00 at the Diner"

Emma glanced at her watch. "It's 10:30 now. I can get by the drug store, then connect with Mary Margaret. I should be able to make it."

"Excellent," and he quickly pulled her to him and gave her a very quick kiss on the lips. The kiss wasn't unpleasant. It reminded her of something. She knew it was for the benefit of the inn's staff, part of the act they were playing. "I will see you at 12:00, my banphrionsa," he said in parting.

She watched him carefully move out, his limp more pronounced than it had been in the room. "Banphrionsa? What the hell was that?" she thought. It would have to wait.


	4. Telling

+ + + + + _Telling_

She told Mary Margaret everything. What had happened, what they think had happened to cause it, what they planned to do about it.

"Can you trust Gold?" she asked Emma. "This sounds like a situation that he's going to take advantage of you."

"Of course I don't trust him and I know he's going to try to take advantage. But I think he's right and this is the only option we have open to us. I need to ask you for your support and will you pretend to be my maid of honor?"

"Absolutely, I'll be happy to. Anything I can do to help." Mary Margaret suddenly added. "Oh, you two will have to get an appointment right away with Zurie Banon, she is the best wedding planner in town. That will clinch the engagement story."

"Zurie Banon? She owns the Crystal Cave? Sells fine crystal, stationary, interesting gifts? "

"Exactly. After you get by _The Daily Mirror_, that should be your next stop."


	5. A Friend for Now

+ + + + + _A Friend for Now_

It was seven days out of James's kingdom. The roads were no longer clear and safe. They were gradually climbing and could see the mountains not so far in the distance. The weather was getting colder. They had pitched tents around a fire pit and most of the men were sitting around the fire for the heat, eating their suppers of rabbit, beans and berries.

It was the Huntsman that first noticed him. A smaller man, a strange looking man, sitting hunched on the fringes of the group. He wasn't eating. He wasn't part of the group. He approached the man. "Who are you?"

The man looked up. "A friend, for now. You are looking for the Snow Queen, aren't you? I can help you."

"Who are you?"

James had come up and recognized the man. "Huntsman, you have the pleasure of meeting the most dangerous man in the kingdom. This is Rumplestiltskin. And if he is offering to help, it's for a price."

The wizened man stood up and gave a flourishing bow. "Of course, for a price. Everything is for a price. Nothing much, mind you." He lowered his voice and spoke confidently to Prince James. "I just want an invitation to your wedding, Prince James."

James shook his head. "What kind of help would you be able to give us?"

"Oh, I don't know. This and that. That and this."

James shook his head. "I don't know. I don't trust you."

The Huntsman was watching the two. "Listen," he interjected, addressing Rumplestiltskin. "If you help us, actually help us, Prince James will give you the invitation."

"Ohhhh," Rumplestiltskin considered. "If we play this way, I will also want a dance with the bride. The second dance, the whole dance."

James hesitated only a moment. "If you actually help us. Done." He offered his hand to the imp who flexed his long fingers, took the proffered hand and shook it.

"Done indeed. We have a contract."


	6. Pictures

_Thx for the lovely reviews. Three comments. _

_Several people ask that I combine my short chapters, rather than submitting them separately – hopefully to make an easier read. Trying this here with four short sections (1500 words). _

_Also one reader asked if the Snow Queen was the one from Narnia – absolutely not. My Snow Queen is from H. C. Anderson's story – one that Disney has not tackled, although I know they have considered it. She is a dispassionate creature, not really evil, more of a force of nature. Has always been one of my favorite characters. She will be making an appearance very soon._

_Hope to keep posting daily, I'm taking a biologic treatment but most recently this has resulted in flu symptoms (101 fever yesterday and body ache), hope these symptoms subside and I can keep writing. Thx txm_

+ + + + + _Pictures_

Gold left the inn and went directly to the Mayor's office. She was meeting with part of the town council. He interrupted, not in a mood to be particularly pleasant.

"Mr. Gold, we are in the middle of an important meeting, "began Regina.

"I understand. I **have something even more important to discuss with you and it demands your immediate** attention. Do I have your cooperation or do I have to ask you nicely?" he asked.

Regina stood a moment considering. She knew he could compel her in a heartbeat, with only the word, "please."

She sighed. "Very well, then. Gentlemen, Ladies, please excuse me a moment."

Gold followed her into her office.

"I assume you know why I'm here," he said.

Again Regina considered her options. No sense in pretending. "Of course I know. How did Emma handle waking up with you after a night of sordid sex?"

"Pretty well, actually. Emma thinks it was some sort of Rohypnol drug and we both got hit. Of course, you and I know it was a sex-lust potion that you put in our drinks. I am wondering where you got our hair samples from, but never mind for now. Potions were never your strong suit, dearie. You used too much memory blurring in the sex potion, so neither of us have very good memories of the events. It's coming to us in flashbacks." He sat down. "But, of course, I'm here for the pictures. There won't be any trouble about them, will there?"

Again Regina considered her options. There was always that "please" compulsion thing he held over her; she had been a fool to agree to that. She reached over to her computer and downloaded a file onto a flash drive.

"Erase the file on your computer, please," he directed her.

She complied.

"Now, tell me the truth, please. Are there any other copies?"

She sighed and reached into her desk and pulled out a brown envelope filled with glossy prints. Gold glanced at them. "None of these are too bad. Inappropriate perhaps but not pornographic."

"It was rather disappointing," she admitted. "I was hoping that you would just go ahead and stumpf her right there in the garden while the party was going on in full view of the town. Apparently, you two have far better than average control. That was unexpected."

"Don't pull this crap on us again. It's inconvenient and it requires me to do damage control." He stood taking the flash drive and the envelope. "And by the way, you're one of the first to know. Ms. Swan and I are announcing our engagement. I will be asking you to officiate. You will be thrilled, I know."

Regina was surprised. "Engaged? You aren't seriously considering marriage to Emma Swan, are you?"

"It probably won't have to go that far. But if it does, I could do worse. She's beautiful and energetic. She's not in love with me and not likely to develop those types of feelings for me, so she's quite safe for me." He started for the door. "Thank you for your valuable time, Madame Mayor." As he parted out the door, he added, "You'll notice it soon enough. I've given her your old silver ring as an engagement ring. I thought you'd appreciate the. . . . sincerity of the gesture."

+ + + + + _A New Pretense_

"But Emma, Mr. Gold is evil," Henry protested when his mother found him at the playground and quickly tried to tell him about the arrangement she had been forced to make.

"Yeah, but, and this is kinda complicated, I didn't have a lot of choices. You understand the engagement is a pretend one so I can keep my job. We had both been drugged and didn't behave right, but people may not believe us about being drugged. I don't think this will last very long, ok?"

Henry was not happy but he got that his mom didn't have another option. "Are you sure Mr. Gold didn't set this up?"

Emma considered, _no_, "I don't think so. He seemed as confused as I was." She hesitated. "He's probably going to want me to move into his house, but I'll have my own room. I'm also going to be acting like I'm about to get married, buying a dress and invitations and such. Henry, I know this is hard to understand, but it's what I have to do."

Henry nodded. "If I talk with him, am I supposed to know you are pretending?"

"I don't know. Mary Margaret knows but she's the only other one. I think it would be safer to pretend you think the engagement is real. Just in case someone is listening in."

Henry nodded again. He didn't like this arrangement, not one bit. Why would Mr. Gold be interested in his mother?

+ + + + + _Lunch_

Emma pulled into the Diner five minutes late. Gold was already there, seated and waiting. She sat down across from him. "Sorry, I had to get by the drug store, see Mary Margaret, see Henry, get by the office, and I got abit behind."

He smiled indulgently at her and reached over to hold her hand. "Ms. Swan, you're fine. I just got here myself and had just ordered some tea. _The Daily Mirror_ is not going anywhere. We'll get there sometime after lunch." He then handed her the brown envelope he had gotten from Regina.

"She promises me this is everything," he said holding up the flash drive.

Emma peeked in the envelope, "Eeuu." But she couldn't stop herself and just had to look at several of the photos. "Hey, these don't look too bad, just like we were making out. I was afraid they would be more. . . graphic, explicit. I'll take care of them. Thanks. Can we trust her there are no more copies out there?"

Gold looked at Emma for a moment. "Yes, actually we can," he assured her.

Ruby came by to take their orders. Emma realized she was starving. She'd had nothing to eat or drink since last night. She ordered potato soup and a chicken salad sandwich with hot chocolate with cinnamon. Gold added just a sandwich to his tea. Ruby didn't make any comment on the two having lunch together. Emma couldn't help but wonder what she might have seen last night and decided to try to come back when she could be alone with her to find out.

"Mary Margaret suggested we go by and get an appointment with Zurie Banon after the paper. She said she's the best wedding planner."

"Excellent suggestion. It would add more depth to the engagement story," he took a bite of his sandwich. "Plan B going ok?" he asked referring to the drug store venture.

"Yeah, but I read that it's only about eight-five percent effective, so we'll have to keep our fingers crossed. I'll let you know when I know anything." Emma had another sudden thought. "Who's minding your store?"

"While I'm making these important plans for my future, the shop is closed. I can manage one day of no business. Thank you for asking. May I ask, who is minding the sheriff's office?"

Emma placed a walkie talkie on the table as her response. "I'm hoping today stays quiet."

+ + + + + _The Announcement_

Fortunately lunch remained uneventful. The couple walked down to the offices of _The Daily Mirror._ They asked for help in making their announcement. . . and began to gather a crowd.

"You know this is big news for this town, Mr. Gold. You have been the most eligible bachelor for the longest time and as one of this town's most prominent citizens, this is big news. Please, please, let me get a picture of you and your lovely bride-to-be," the society editor had come over, talking excitedly, holding his camera.

"Of course," Gold agreed. "Emma, dear," he held out his arms to her.

This was the most uncomfortable moment since the walking-down-the-inn-stairs episode. She hoped she didn't look reluctant. She stepped into him, noticing how very warm he was. He put one hand behind her back, and, with the other hand, he lifted her chin up. He leaned down to kiss her, mouth half opened onto her own mouth. Not a passionate kiss by any means, but Emma felt it down the entire length of her body, her stomach flipping, her knees getting weak. She reached up to hold on to his suit jacket to help support herself.

She realized very quickly that she might be in some trouble. The man tasted like cinnamon. She loved cinnamon.


	7. The Wedding Planner

+ + + + + _The Wedding Planner_

Zurie Banon was slender woman with long, straight, white-blonde hair. She had crystalline blue eyes and fine, even features. Emma and Mr. Gold had come into her shop after two and were met by about ten excited young girls who were coming out holding papers and little plastic containers.

Gold seemed well acquainted with her. "Zurie, my dear. Lovely as ever."

She smiled, holding out both hands to him. "Gold, my darling. It's been forever." She then actually leaned in and gave him a kiss on the mouth. . . and he kissed her back.

Emma gave him a pointed look. He glanced at her and began introductions. "I'm here for a happy occasion, dear Zurie. This is Sheriff Emma Swan and she has graciously accepted my proposal of marriage."

Zurie didn't bat an eye. "Forgive the mess. That was one of my art classes that just left. We were stamping and embossing cards." She greeted Emma smoothly, "My dear, best wishes to you. There are many of us that never thought that our Mr. Gold would ever settle down. Please tell me that you two are here to get my help planning the happy occasion."

Gold nodded. "Absolutely. We are considering something in the early fall. I'm thinking the venue will be my estate, unless you have another recommendation."

Zurie was all business. "Your estate could certainly work for a wedding. I've had other people ask if it was available for such events. How many guests are you considering?"

"Likely the entire town. I've already asked Mayor Mills to officiate." He caught the puzzled look from Emma. "I saw her prior to us making the announcement."

"Excellent." Zurie smiled at Gold. "And as much as I appreciate hearing from the groom, I'd like to hear from the bride." She turned to Emma. "Ms. Swan, what do you envision for your wedding?"

Emma had no clue. She had not been one of those girls who had been planning her wedding since she was four. She had no ideas about dresses, processions, vows, wedding food, rituals, nothing _especially since this wedding wasn't real and wasn't going to happen_. She admitted, "I don't have any ideas. I just never pictured myself involved in a big wedding. I'd be just as happy going to the courthouse and getting married without all the hoopla."

Zurie sat back. "Interesting. You're a blank slate then. No ideas about anything. Any requests at all."

Emma winced, "Keep it simple."

Gold smiled tolerantly at Emma, "This will, unfortunately for you my darling, be the social event of the year. I'm prepared to spare no expense." He turned to Zurie, "I want Emma to have the white dress, a bevy of bridesmaids, special vows, a wedding feast, a wedding night." He glanced back at Emma. "Everything a girl could want."

Zurie picked up a white three ring binder. "This is my wedding planning notebook. I begin one for each of my brides. Ms. Swan, I will need you to make an appointment, come in and we will begin planning. You may want to bring one of your girl friends with you." She looked back at Gold. "Of course, I will run everything by you."

He nodded at her. "Of course, Zurie." He stood. "May I leave you two ladies together. I do find that I need to get back to my shop." He gave Emma a chaste kiss on the forehead and left the two women.

The two watched him limp away. Zurie turned back to Emma. "That is a very interesting, very complex man," she observed. "I really did not see him ever getting married. You must be a remarkable woman, Ms. Swan."

"I don't know about that," said Emma. _It hadn't take a lot of remarkableness to wake up drugged and naked with the man. _The two checked their mutual calendars and scheduled an appointment within two days to begin wedding planning. Emma's heart wasn't in this, but she knew she had to follow through. How far were they going to carry this? Gold seemed to be enjoying himself. He never missed an opportunity to put his hands on her. She knew that he could see how uncomfortable the process was making her and that seemed to give him some perverse pleasure. Aggravating man. Irritating, exasperating and annoying man.

+ + + + + _The Frozen Lake_

Rumplestiltskin seemed to know every back way, every easy way and led the group towards the steep mountains. However, he came and went at will. Sometimes he would be at the front of the group, sometimes at the back, sometimes not there at all. He did not sleep in any of the tents and those on guard duty would sometimes see him sitting near the fire, hunched over, somewhat forlorn, even pitiable looking, especially when it drizzled. He rarely partook of their food and never joined in idle conversation. Most of the party avoided him, not at all comfortable around him.

The accidents began once they hit the bottom of the mountains. Two of the party were caught in a sudden landslide and broke their legs. Two others stayed behind with their injured comrades.

The remaining sixteen went on up the mountain.

There was an attack by bears which also killed two more of party and injured three. Again two others stayed behind to care for their friends. At this point the going was so hard that they elected to leave behind the ponies and continue on foot.

The remaining nine went on up the mountain.

The weather became increasingly nasty, cold and the drizzle changed first to freezing rain and sleet, then snow, and then the snow changed to blowing pieces of ice, cutting into the group. The snow was so hard that they could not see each other unless they were immediately next to each other. They did not even try to pitch their tents against the fierce wind, but gave up, instead huddling together with their backs against a grove of trees, using each other's body heat to stay warm. In the morning, when the blizzard finally abated they could only find four of the group, James, the Huntsman, Grumpy and Colin, one of the Queen's henchmen.

Rumplestiltskin appeared from behind the trees. "Hopefully, they are all together. Blown away from this group, but still together." He bowed, as was his custom. "Let's go on. We are about to go above the tree line and onto the Abysmal Plain."

The Huntsman questioned, "Abysmal Plain?"

"It's a frozen lake. The Queen's castle is on an island in the middle of the lake. She will see us coming. We will hope she will let us approach. Come on. Come on." He urged everyone up. They were stiff, sore, hungry and very, very cold. They got up and followed their guide.

Once they came out above the tree line, they had no difficulties recognizing the frozen lake. They could see the shining white castle in the center and began the slippery trudge across the smooth, slick, plain. They would from time to time, slip and fall onto the hard ice, although James noticed that Rumplestiltskin danced over the ice as if it were a field of daisies, sure-footed, almost gracefully. He did not seem cold or sore or stiff.

They had to camp one night on the lake and no one got any rest. They huddled under blankets on the ice, unable to lite a fire, eating only hardtack and jerky.

Colin complained. "I don't think I will ever be warm again."

"Be careful, be careful, what you say on this plain. It may come true," Rumplestiltskin warned him.

The Huntsman asked the imp. "Have you ever met the Snow Queen?"

He shook his head. "Yes and no, no and yes. It has been a long, long time, so she won't recognize me, not at first, maybe not at all, but, I know her well. Her presence is all around us. Has been all around us. She knows we are here. She knows about us. She knows why we are here.

James asked, "Do you think she'll let us borrow the Blue Crystal?"

Rumplestiltskin considered. "Hard to tell." He shrugged. "She is female and females are unpredictable."

"You aren't cold?" asked Colin.

Rumplestiltskin laughed. "Cold? Never cold."

Colin and the others shook their heads. They were amazed to watch the imp create a small yellow light that radiated heat. He suspended the ball of light in the center of the group and they all held up their hands basking in the warmth of the globe. It was the first time they had been warm in days.

James looked directly at Rumplestiltskin and said, "Thank you." The imp just smiled tolerantly.

+ + + + + _Salvaging_

He was already seriously irritated with Emma. While meeting behind closed doors with a judge, himself, Emma and Mr. French, she had succeeded in getting all the assault charges dropped when she was able to get Gold to agree to pay not only all medical bills, but also to forgive the original loan. It was less than ten thousand and she knew damn well he could afford it. He was obviously not happy to do this, but in the end had agreed. After the meeting, when he parted from her, instead of the usual chaste peck on the mouth, he gave a searing kiss, all for the benefit of the public, he assured her. But, she knew he was angry with her and this was meant as punishment. She had to close her eyes and hold on, well aware of the intimate places his hands were, one just under an armpit against one breast, the other nearly on her backside pulling her against him.

It was afterwards in the sheriff's office that he had confronted her.

"He would have taken the money for the medical bills. You didn't have to offer to forgive the loan." He wasn't happy at all.

"But it was the right thing to do and you know it. Plus, this goes right along with your plan of how I'm salvaging your soul and making you into a better person."

"But not for this man. You don't know."

"And you aren't going to tell me, are you?"

She was right. He looked away from her. "This is more complicated, more serious than you know. This man does not deserve your compassion. I don't like interference. You know that."

"I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm trying to do the right thing. I can only act on the information I have," Emma tried to remain calm and rational.

He took a deep breath and talked in a slow, low tone. "Let's try it this way. You talk with me first before you make any ten thousand dollar offers on my behalf. If you didn't carry a gun, I'd be tempted to take it out of your hide." He lifted her chin so she had to look him in the eye. "And there are other ways to punish a woman besides beating her – reducing her to begging is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, I can assure you. Understand, we aren't actually engaged and I don't actually have the tolerance I might have for a woman I was in love with. If you interfere again, I might consider that you owe me another favor."

Emma wasn't going to let him intimidate her. She leaned back in her Sheriff's chair. "Tell me again what I'm getting out of this engagement? "

He was leaving and shot back, "Your reputation."

Emma watched him limp away. "Impossible man. Control freak. Jerk." So why was she thinking continually of That Night? More and more flashes were coming back to her. Not just the oral sex incident, but one of him pushing, pounding her against a wall and her having to hold on by wrapping her legs around him, and once with him bending her forward over a hassock and using his hands as well as his. . . oh god. She had to stop this. She wondered if he were bothered by any flashback images. She wondered with her newly awakened libido if she would ever get any actual relief. She was feeling increasingly on edge. That kiss in the judge's office hadn't helped, had made things worse. Watching him rant in her office, with him actually threatening an afternoon of sexual activity. Whoa, she needed to get a grip.


	8. Snow Queen and Cinnamon

+ + + + + _The Snow Queen_

"How do we get in?" asked the Huntsman. The team had reached the rock foundations of the ice castle.

"Through the door," explained Rumplestiltskin as if he was talking to a dull child. "It's around the other side."

The five scrambled around the icy rocks and stones to find the black iron doors.

Rumplestiltskin simply walked up to them and knocked. After a moment, the doors swung open. The five tentatively entered the large, high vaulted room. They saw no one, heard no one.

"Where is she?" asked James.

"Soon enough, soon enough," assured Rumplestiltskin. The group began wandering through the grey, cold, icy hallways. It was through another set of double doors that they came to what appeared to be a throne room. There was a single large chair sitting in the center and at the top of the chair was a bright blue crystal. Surrounding the throne were shards of glass, from a large broken mirror.

"That must be it," said James as he headed towards the throne.

"No, no, no," warned Rumplestiltskin. "We are not thieves. We will talk with the lady first."

But Colin has already reached the throne and put his hands on the crystal. The woman materialized immediately next to him. She was, as they had heard, blue skinned, shiny silver blue. Her long hair was white and silver, like snow glistening in the sunlight. She was attired in a wisp of a dress, blue, silver and white shining and shimmering. She was cold and beautiful.

She put her hand on the young man and pulled him to her lips and placed the other hand on his chest. She kissed him once and he smiled at her. She kissed him a second time and his face seemed to go blank. She kissed him a third time. His lips, his face and then his entire body, as if his blood had frozen in his veins, turned blue. He collapsed to the ground, dead.

She turned toward the four remaining party members. "You come to steal from me. You will all die."

James had reflexively pulled his sword, but dropped it to his side as she approached him. He tried to step back but found that movement was quite difficult.

She didn't quite touch him, her hand stopped just over his heart. "You burn very hot for someone, don't you? Her love protects you from my kiss."

She turned to Grumpy. "A dwarf. Your heart is made of rock. I cannot freeze you." She shook her head.

Then to the Huntsman. She hesitated long over him. Puzzled she said, "You have no heart. It is in the keeping of someone else. I have not met one such as yourself before."

Then finally she turned to Rumplestiltskin. He bowed before her, "My Queen."

She walked around him and returning to face him, gently touched him on the chest. "You are very beautiful. What are you?" She stood a long moment before him, then said. "Is it. . . is it you, my lord? It has been very long and you look different. " She pulled back her hand, her face reflecting concern. She lowered herself to her knees. "Forgive me, Dark One." She bowed low before him. "How may I serve you?"

James whispered to Grumpy and the Huntsman "Dark One?"

Rumplestiltskin reached out to lift her head back up and taking her hand, pulled her back to standing. "My dear, you are quite forgiven. It has been a very long time and I was in a different form."

She was very deferential. "You are very kind, my lord."

"Ask her about the Blue Crystal," James said. "Remember that's why we came here."

"He is insolent, my lord. Would you like me to punish him?" she asked, eager to please. "I cannot freeze his heart, but I have other things I can do."

Rumplestiltskin smiled. "I'm sure you do, my dear, but no, no. It is his way and I'm quite used to it by now. And," he paused, "he is correct. We have come on a mission."

"Anything I can do for you," she promised.

Rumplestiltskin looked at James. "Would you agree I've been helpful? An invitation and the second dance with the Bride, the entire second dance."

James nodded.

Rumplestiltskin turned back to the Snow Queen. "My dear, my friends want to borrow your Blue Crystal. There is a great sickness across several lands and moonlight shown through your crystal will cure the malady."

The Snow Queen drew back from him. She appeared sad and shook her head. "Please, please, no. Is there any other way? You know, you know what the Blue Crystal is to me."

Rumplestiltskin was gentle with her. "I'm so sorry my dear. It has to be the Blue Crystal."

She hung her head. "It shall be done as you ask Dark One, but," and a frozen tear fell from her eye, making a tinkling sound as it hit the ice floor. "The Crystal is like my heart. I shall be all alone and lonely without it." She turned to retrieve the Crystal from the back of her throne and gave it to Rumplestiltskin, her hand lingering over its facets before letting it go. "Please, my lord, promise me that you will return it as soon as you can."

He gently kissed her, bowed and then vanished with the Crystal before their eyes. The little Snow Queen slowly walked back to her throne and sat in it, pulling her legs up under herself and hunching over. She looked very tiny, like a child.

"Ma'am, we are very appreciative of what you are doing," began James. "We will return the Crystal as soon as our people are well."

"What matter? You are trapped here until it is returned. The Crystal keeps the lake frozen and it is no longer safe to cross. Soon the Kraken will awaken. If he does not return within ten days, the Kraken will tear down this castle and the rocks it was built on."

"Oh great, Rumplestiltskin couldn't have whisked us out of here before he made the lake melt," said Grumpy. "I wonder if she has anything here we can eat."

She overheard him. "I sometimes keep company with human children and I do have some food for your kind."

+ + + + + + _Cinnamon_

Emma had more or less moved into a guest bedroom at Gold's house. It was off the main part of the house, downstairs, and more sparsely furnished that the rest of the house. Stone walls, a bed and nightstand, one window. When he had showed her the place, she had laughingly referred to it as "the dungeon." He had flinched but had not commented. She had gotten him to agree to put in a standing armoire for her to hang up her limited wardrobe. He had commented on her clothing, suggesting that she might want to consider buying herself some additional things, that, as his fiancée, there were certain standards to uphold. He suggested several finer women's stores in town for her to visit, maybe buy some dresses,** suggesting she have them send the bills to him. **

The two had discussed the matter thoroughly and thought the appearance of Emma living with him would reflect what an engaged couple would do. Emma couldn't help but feel awkward in the man's home. He had collected many beautiful things, plus some odd things. He did tend to keep the place dark and she was fine with that. She also noted there were no mirrors, except one that he typically kept covered. If she hadn't seen him out and about during the day, she would've suspected he was a vampire. They were sitting in his living room. Emma had had the place wired for Internet and was able to do some of her work there, especially favoring the evenings. He had not liked the intrusion of the cable company into his home and had insisted on supervising them, watching over them with overt suspicion.

The house was neat and tidy and when she remarked on this, he shared that he often had 'a girl' come in.

"Usually as way of working off a parent's debt. I will have someone come in to tidy up, clean and wash, sometimes cook."

"You spend any time with them?"

"Absolutely not," he replied. "They are usually under eighteen and I can't afford even the illusion that there might be anything else going on. There's this new sheriff in town, you see."

Emma smiled at him. "You should have lived a couple of centuries ago, Gold." Emma continued. "I can easily see you as the lord of the manor. Everyone bowing and scraping."

He gave her one of his half-smiles. "And you would be the new young lady in town who is not afraid of the lord of the manor."

"But who should be, because he has dark designs upon her." Emma sat quietly a moment. "Have you ever actually been in love with anyone?"

"Personal question time, is it?" he responded. Emma was surprised when he actually responded, "There have been two women. One left me, the other I sent away."

"The one you sent away. Do you regret that?"

"Every day. She told me I would. But if she had stayed. . . . "He shook his head, "She died after I sent her away, killed herself."

"Oh my god," Emma was apologetic. "I'm so sorry." She got up and came over to him. Hesitantly she put her hand on his shoulder. "I don't think of you as being somebody who is vulnerable."

He put his hand over Emma's "I'm not anymore. And I won't ever be again."

"You can't know that. Love can sneak up on people when they least expect it."

Gold looked closely at her. "Now, I don't think of you as being somebody who is a romantic."

"I didn't think I was, but the longer I stay in this town, the more I seem to be believing in fairytales."

"Fairytales are often very dark and not all of them end happily."

"You got that right," agreed Emma. He had not released his hold on her hand which still rested on his shoulder. He stood, turned and faced her, continuing to hold onto her hand.

"Are you all right, Ms. Swan? You seem . . . tense."

She dropped her eyes and made a minor effort to pull away. "I'm incredibly. . . 'tense.' I keep having these flashbacks to That Night and some of those memories are pretty hot and, " she ran her free hand through her hair " . . . well, you must know that when you kiss me, even though I don't like you, I have this. . . response."

"You do seem to have some trouble standing up. I thought it was just part of your not liking me."

"Good lord, man. I just want to. . ." she was looking directly in his eyes now. He didn't move. He let her come to him. It was only a half moment before she was kissing him. Well not exactly kissing. She did some kissing, some licking, even some gentle biting. She began to fumble at his shirt, continuing to kiss, lick and nibble on his chest and shoulders and arms.

Then for one moment, she pulled back. "This is wrong. I shouldn't be doing this with someone I don't like, with someone I don't trust."

Gold had been busy unbuttoning her shirt. He stopped. "Do you want to stop?" he asked quietly. "I know I am not the type of man you typically go for. You usually like someone like Sheriff Graham."

"You're not typical," Emma admitted. "But you've got this intelligent-arrogant-intense thing going for you, which a lot of women find attractive. Same with the money-power thing you have going. So it's not like you're a goblin or anything."

"So I'm not completely objectionable," he asked with a touch of acerbity.

"The thing for me is, you smell. . . you taste . . . like cinnamon."

"What?"

"Like cinnamon. Whenever you kiss me, it's there. Now whenever I stand close to you, it's there. And I keep wondering if your skin will taste like cinnamon, if your sweat will taste like cinnamon, what else might taste like cinnamon and I need to find out."

"So you don't want to stop?"

"Oh lord no," she managed to gasp out and pulled him back to her. She pushed him down to the carpet and began to first pull off her own clothes, then his. She was by far the most aggressive female he had ever been with. Initiating, even telling him what to do, she had him lay on his back continuing to lick and kiss him all over. He was ready for her almost immediately and when she mounted him, she quickly convulsed around him, gasping and shaking with the force of her response. She stopped a moment, breathing heavily.

"That was too quick. I'm going to slow things up, now."

"Whatever the lady wishes," he murmured, vastly enjoying himself, allowing her to direct the entire activity. Emma gave herself free reign to tap into the heated fantasies she'd been having. The man was amazingly cooperative with each and every request she made of him and it was nearly two hours before she finally lay back on the carpeted floor and fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 10

+ + + + + _Valuable Information_

The trio spent the next days wandering around the massive ice castle. It was a cold and lonely place. By the second day, they were beginning to see cracks in the ice field surrounding the island. The Snow Queen had remained curled up in her throne, not moving or speaking since she had first placed herself in the seat. They had been able to find some food but few sources of warmth.

James sat in the Throne Room, looking over the vast ice plain. He kept an eye on the Queen. She seemed quite young, but he doubted that. She seemed to know Rumplestiltskin, at least something about him. He had begun to think that this might be a way to find out more about the creature that was entwined and entangled in everyone's lives, that so many people owed so much, who used and controlled and manipulated so many. James deferentially approached her.

"Ma'am, is there anything I can do for you? You have been sitting here, not moving, not eating for two days now."

She opened her crystaline pale blue eyes and looked at him. "What can you do for me, human?"

"I don't know. But anything I can, I shall."

"Charming," she said, very slightly smiling. "You come here with the darkest, strongest force in the magical world. How can I oppose the Dark One? He takes my heart against my will. And he abandons me. What is there that you can do for me?"

"Probably not much" James admitted and approached the Queen. "You seem to know him, know Rumplestiltskin. What is he?"

She sat quietly a moment. "I see. You can do nothing for me. But perhaps I can do something for you." She stretched out, her silver robes shimmering around her, and James noted that she wore no shoes. She stayed seated. "The Dark One is the most powerful magical entity to walk our world. The mirror shards around my throne come from one of his kind. Be careful. Should you choose to look into one, they reflect only the darkest part of the one who looks into the mirror."

She sat up on the throne and shook her head, "I am surprised you do not cower in terror before the Dark One. You should. I do. He is capable of killing you with a single wave of his hand. He can strip your sanity from you. He can take away everything you might hold dear. This one, as he is now, has a special talent I have never seen before. He sees the future. He knows what you are going to do, perhaps before you do. I tremble before him and will do anything, anything to keep him appeased."

James digested this with some alarm. He had known Rumplestiltskin was dangerous but not this powerful. He had always seemed more of a trickster and a deal maker, not a malevolent force of nature.

"Can anything contain him?"

The Snow Queen considered. "It may be possible to bind his magic, but it would be very difficult to trick him into allowing this to happen." She hesitated, "There is a spell that some of the sylph fairies know. But even if you could bind him, he would still be very strong. He would have to be confined in some place that tapped the most powerful ancient magics, some place with earth, air, fire and water magic working together. There are very few such places."

"Will he know that you told me this?" James was concerned about her well-being.

"Oh yes. He may. He may punish me. He may not care." The Snow Queen stirred on the throne, curling back up onto the chair. "He holds my heart right now. Should he choose not to return it, I will die."

+ + + + + _Sharing the Past_

Emma stirred. She was in a strange room, naked and she was not alone. Ok, well maybe this time the room was kinda familiar. And this time she knew what had happened to her clothes. And this time she knew who she was with.

She turned over and taking the end of her hair, twisted it into a mini-brush and used it to tickle his face of the man lying on his back next to her. He blew it away a couple of times before opening his eyes.

"Thanks," she said. "That was wonderful. Even my sinuses are cleared up,"

"No tension left?"

"Not any more. Although I still have this massive guilt pang about doing it with somebody I don't like."

"You don't feel any quilt about using me like some boy toy?"

"Oh, not a bit! You obviously enjoyed yourself."

"And the cinnamon thing?"

"I'm in trouble. You smell, you taste like cinnamon. You are the most delicious man I've ever been with and I can't imagine why another woman hasn't shared this with you. There have been other women, right?"

He chuckled. "You want to know who else I've been with."

Emma hemmed. "Well, maybe. You've lived in this town forever. I see a woman like Zurie Banon kiss you on the mouth and I'm thinking, 'Oh yes, he's been with her. If he snapped his fingers, she'd be on her back on the desk ready for him.'"

"Are you sure you want to know? This seems like one of those things people ask for, but they really don't want to know."

"Let me just ask about a couple of women, ok?" Emma asked him.

"All right, just a couple, say two. And I will reserve the right to ask you about a couple of men, also. Give and take, ok" agreed Gold.

Emma nodded agreement. The first name she said was, "Zurie Banon?"

"Well, just look at her. She's drop dead gorgeous. Yes, of course, I've been with her. But it's been awhile. Although you are correct, if I should ask her, she would likely be on her back on the desk ready for me. There's no love between us, but the sex was really great." Gold responded and then he asked her, "My turn, Sheriff Graham?"

"No, almost, we probably would have, were about to, when his heart gave out." Emma replied, and then asked her second question. "Regina Mills?"

Gold winced. "Ouch." He hesitated, but finally answered, "All right. Yes. Regina and I go way back to when she was very young and very beautiful. We have had an on and off relationship since that time. It's been off for several years now. I will tell you that we don't like each other at all. We don't trust each other at all. There is some genuine hatred that lies between us, multiple betrayals, lies, cheating, dirty tricks. The sex was amazing, but no love whatsoever."

Emma nodded. "Alright, who else do you want to know about?"

Gold smiled. "Henry's father."

Emma sat up and quietly said, "Yes, I had sex with Henry's father."

"Was there a relationship, a one-night stand, were you raped?" he asked gently.

"That's not what we were asking about," she protested, but she answered anyway. _Maybe it would help to talk about it_. "Alcohol, probably some other drugs were involved. I was barely eighteen, just legal. I had run away from the shelter and was alone when he picked me up. I can't remember the man. I've looked for him, as much as I've looked for my parents. He just disappeared. I don't have a name, even a phony name. He had money, given his car and his clothes. And it wasn't horrible, I mean, he was kind and gentle, but he left and was gone afterwards, forever. "

"I'm sorry. He left you young, alone, penniless, and pregnant."

"Yes, the son of a bitch. I'd like to meet up with him again, just to punch him out."

"That may happen yet. You never know." Gold sat up and kissed her lightly on the mouth. "Listen, anytime you want to do this again, the sex part I mean, just to reduce tension, of course, let me know. I'll try to rise to the occasion."


	10. Return to Touching

+ + + + + _Return_

"It's too good to be true. I'm back." Rumplestiltskin appeared in the throne room holding the Blue Crystal on the ninth day since leaving. The trio was exhausted from dealing with the cold and the limited food. The Kraken had also risen up from the lake and had tentatively attacked the castle on two occasions. They had stabbed as they could at its arms, and, the creature, not quite able to gain a hold on the rocks, had fallen back. The Snow Queen had not moved from her seat and had not talked with anyone since her conversation with James. Weak and listless, she looked up at Rumplestiltskin.

She slid out of the throne and prostrated herself before him. "My lord, you have returned."

He pulled her up and kissed her soundly on the mouth. He handed her the Blue Crystal and continued holding onto her, supporting her. He turned and addressed the trio of travelers.

"The illness is over. The Crystal worked. I have returned. And you three need to go back to James's palace."

"Can you send us back with magic?" James asked.

"There will be a price."

"Of course. What do you want this time?"

"Not so much, not so much. The invitation, the dance and the right to sit at your court when I am so amused. A seat at your table when I want it. A place by your side when I'm so inclined." He carefully escorted the Snow Queen back to her throne and returned to James. "I want to be part of your little family. You will allow me the freedom to come and go at your castle without trying to kill me."

James shook his head. This was too much. "We'll walk."

"As you wish. The lake will be refrozen within about, what you think my dear, two or three days." He returned his attention to the Snow Queen. "I have business with the Queen. Private business. You three, go somewhere else. I do not wish to be interrupted." He ordered them in imperious tones that brooked no argument. He waved his hand and dismissed them.

James, more aware of Rumplestiltskin's true powers, certainly not wanting to challenge him in the Snow Queen's palace, backed away and his two comrades modeled his response. The three looked at each other and moved out from the throne room and wandered along the parapets of the castle. Already, the lake was showing signs of refreezing.

"What's he doing with her, do you think?" asked the Huntsman.

"I hope he's not hurting her. She sacrificed a lot to save our people. She didn't want to but she's really scared of him," observed James. "I think if he hadn't come, we wouldn't have gotten the Crystal. But, in coming with him, we got the Crystal, but we may have hurt her."

"She's kinda pitiful right now. Why would he hurt her?" asked the Huntsman.

"Because he's a monster. She told me some things about him, how dangerous he really is and there is something we can do to bind his powers. It might become really useful."

+ + + + + _What Happened in the Throne Room_

In the throne room, Rumplestiltskin helped the Snow Queen replace the Blue Crystal on the throne. "My dear, I came back as soon as I could." He ran his hand down her arm, "I have many memories of you from The Others who have had the dark power. You have been their favorite. I have learned that you are incapable of love. You will make no demands, you will be very compliant with any request I may make and," he kissed her on the nape of the neck, "you will be very responsive."

"I have a bedchamber," she informed him.

"Later. I prefer here and now," he told her and he began to relieve her of her dress. "You did tell them about the possibility of binding my magic."

"In the dream you sent me as I sat upon my throne. The instructions, what to say. I have done as you commanded, my lord."

"Excellent, my sweet. That is a necessary step and I don't think they would have figured it out on their own." He waved his hand and brushed aside the mirror shards that surrounded her throne. He began kissing her and pushed her back to the floor by the throne. She was indeed everything the older memories had told him she would be.

+ + + + + _What Happened in the Crystal Cave_

_He was getting too close with Emma. Feelings were happening. It was uncomfortable and frightening. He couldn't, wouldn't live through that again. Nothing good would ever come of it. He needed something different, something without feelings. _

It was after 11 in the evening. The streets of Storybrooke were empty. Ms. Banon, sat in her shop, finishing up some records and inventory. She sat at a delicate white desk while she worked. She sometimes absentmindedly touched the small blue crystal she wore around her neck as her only adornment. She did not hear him come in, but, typical for someone of her extraordinarily calm demeanor, did not startle when she looked up and found him standing in front of her.

"I had wondered if you might not come back by."

"Why do you keep it so damn cold in here?"

She shrugged. "You know what I am. I like it cold."

"Yeah, but here I feel the cold."

"Sorry Mr. Landlord. I can adjust the thermostat if you wish," she rose and made the change. "May I offer you a drink?"

"Please, you know what I like." He sat down across from her white desk and watched her as she moved about the room. Drop dead gorgeous, indeed.

She fetched a number of items, initially placing two water goblets before them, poured in a small amount of a rich green liquor, then set a flat slotted spoon atop one of the glasses. She then placed a single sugar cube on the spoon and from a carafe containing ice cubes and water, slowly poured in some of the water. "Look you have a fairy," she observed with a smile as the green liquor rose up inside the water in a fluted pattern.

"I don't like fairies, interfering little busybodies." and he slowly stirred his drink turning it a softer green before tasting it. "This is excellent."

"It should be. The absinthe is $100.00 a bottle," she responded while fixing herself a similar drink, but using two sugar cubes and more water in her own drink.

"I would never object, of course, but why are you here?" she asked.

"I did not realize how much I missed your pleasant, undemanding company."

"Your fiancée will not object? I would were I her."

"You are not she. I just wanted to see you again. It has been a while."

"Then are the rumors true? This is an engagement of convenience? A deal of some sort, like the kind you always make? Will a marriage ever happen?"

The man had begun to remove his jacket and tie. "Maybe, there are some advantages to marriage for me at this time. And the story must be played out whether we wed or not. I trust your discretion, my dear. You have never failed me in the past and I expect you will not fail me now." He walked around and pulled the woman up and out of her chair and began to kiss her while beginning to pull off her blouse.

She murmured softly as she kissed him back. "I do hope that you don't plan to name me as co-respondent to get out of the marriage. It would not be good for my business."

"I prefer to keep my relationship with you absolutely secret. I would have no intention of naming you as such. Remember marriage or no, you will get to keep my generous deposit on the wedding planning, so make it look good."

"As you said, I have never failed you," she replied, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

_Always about herself. This was one of two women he did not have to worry about, but this one didn't hate him. She was incapable of hate. She was incapable of love and would never, could never fall in love with him. Nor he with her. He could never, never risk that._

+ + + + + _Touching_

James saw her drifting around on one of the open balconies. "Are you all right, ma'am," he asked concerned.

"Of course. It is as it has been before. The Dark One is able to touch me and have me touch him. So it is always this way with him."

"I'm sorry," apologized James. "I did not know when I agreed for him to accompany the quest that he would hurt you."

"Hurt me?" the Queen was puzzled. "He does not hurt me. He gives me great pleasure. Understand, Human, I am alone almost always. When he comes, he can be with me in a way no other creature can be. I would like him to stay with me forever, but I know he will not. He is the Dark One."

James was surprised. "Then you are happy with what he's doing with you?"

"Happy, I do not know. But I would like him to stay. . . always. . . and be with me."

"Listen," James began. "Without your help, many, many people would have died. There are many people who would want to thank you. Is it possible for you to travel to my kingdom to be a guest at my wedding?"

"I can travel in winter. But this time of year, he would have to agree to bring me there and back."

"Would you like me to ask him?"

The Snow Queen considered. "I have never been to a wedding. I have never had an invitation. I might like it."

James assured her that he would talk to Rumplestiltskin.


	11. Truth and Warning

+ + + + + + _Truth_

"OK, now this is interesting," Emma was on her computer in Gold's dining room.

He glanced up from his reading waiting for her to finish.

"You got out of jail when the assault charges on Mr. French were dropped after you agreed to pay his medical bills and wipe out the loan. I know you have this intense, never-forget-a-wrong kind of personality, but I'd never seen it so bad before. You seem to have some kind of personal vendetta against the man; I was afraid you'd kill the man. I wanted to check things out, see what I could find out. See if I could find out what set you off."

"I'd prefer not to talk about this." He warned her.

Emma waved him off, not one to back down from him. "Yeah, which is why I've had to go online and do my own investigation. Looks like his financial problems started when his daughter was placed in a mental institution. They had a webpage on her for awhile."

"His daughter is dead."

"Not unless he has more than one. The cost of her medical care has drained the family which is why he couldn't pay his bills to you."

Gold was up and stood by her at the computer. "Are you saying the daughter is alive?"

"Yeah, but is locked away some place."

"That can't be right. The daughter ran into some problems but the family abandoned her and she killed herself."

Emma pointed to the computer screen. "Where did you get that information from? That is different from everything that is detailed here."

"I got it from. . . "Gold closed his eyes. _He thought he had learned._ "an accomplished, lying bitch." He began pacing. "She made me think Belle was dead, but she's alive here. In a mental institution, you say."

"Who's Belle? This is about Marjorie French. But this is what it looks like. I'm running into confidentiality HIPAA regs and can't get any more information."

"The father would know where she was and could get us in, right?"

"Yeah, but he won't want to have anything to do with you."

"Which is why you are coming with me." Gold grabbed his outer coat and motioned for Emma to precede him out the front door.

It was one of the most difficult interviews Emma had ever sat through. Mr. French detailed his daughter's descent into disturbed behavior, how the family didn't have enough for the expensive treatment, how they had to go into debt, how the Mayor had finally found a place for her. Gold listened quietly, a pained expression on his face. He said something Emma would have never expected him to say.

"I may have made a mistake. Margie's situation reminded me so much of another girl who's family had abandoned her and eventually she killed herself that I thought the same thing had happened with Margie. I can't make things up to the other girl, but I can help with Margie. I want her in the best facility. I will pay all her bills."

Mr. French was near tears. "I can't repay you. You know that."

Gold hesitated. "I took comfort visiting with the other girl, she was kind to me and I would like to be able to visit with Margie. Just to talk with her from time to time, perhaps take her on the occasional outing. Please understand Mr. French, I do not have ulterior motives toward your daughter. I just want to make her life better as a way of making it up to the other girl in my past."

"This is more than generous," agreed Mr. French. "I'll sign whatever you need me to." He added. "The Mayor will probably need to know about this. She has been picking up on the tab so far."

"I will talk to the Mayor," promised Mr. Gold.

He drove Emma back to his house in silence. He parked and led her back into the house.

He was hesitant, "I appreciate what you did this evening. You righted a wrong."

"Well, that had to be hard for you. I'm still not sure exactly what I did besides finding out the family had medical problems and bills to pay."

"And the girl in question wasn't dead."

"Yeah, I'm so confused. I know we're talking about two different girls."

He swung Emma around to face him. "What if your son Henry is right, Ms. Swan?"

"What do you mean?"

"That everyone here are characters from fairytales and the Evil Queen has bespelled them all to make their lives miserable. That each person here has a parallel in Fairyland. Regina is the Evil Queen, Mary Margaret is Snow White, David Nolen is Prince Charming, Dr. Hopper is Jiminy Cricket. And that Margie French is Belle."

"So who are you?"

"In Belle's story, I was the Beast. It didn't turn our well between us. She was going to break the curse I'm under, but I didn't want the curse broken. I would lose my special powers and I didn't want to lose my powers. I made a choice and she was the one who got hurt."

"You know you aren't making sense?" Emma said to him. He was ranting and unsettling. He was kinda scary when he got like this.

"No probably not," he admitted. He turned toward her and roughly pulled her to him. "Ms. Swan, sleep in my bed tonight. Please, please, I need you." He didn't wait for her to respond but began kissing her and guiding her upstairs to his room.

_Oh, I am such a slut, thought Emma. She let him have his way with her, dragging her upstairs, stripping off her clothes on the way, barely making it onto the bed before entering her and rocking her into ecstasy. Afterwards, he kept her very close and held on to her. And then woke her up very early in the morning to begin again. _

+ + + + + _Warning_

"James, you fuckwit! Do you not realize how dangerous this woman is? Next to myself and the Snow White's stepmother, she is probably the most dangerous creature you will ever meet! Don't you know what she is?" Rumplestiltskin was furious with him. "She steals children, human children! She freezes their hearts and keeps them for company. They soon die, humans are not meant to live without love. Are you sure that you want her at your wedding?"

James had asked Rumplestiltskin to take the Snow Queen to the wedding and then return her to her palace. He had explained that people were going to want the opportunity to thank her. "You're coming, aren't you?" asked James with the implication that if his people could tolerate one, they could tolerate the other. "People will want to thank her, regardless of what she is, what she's done."

Rumplestiltskin laughed. "What she's done? _She_ didn't do anything. If I hadn't been here, she would have killed all of you and left your people to die. If she wasn't in terror of what I might do to her, she would never have cooperated. Come with me," he directed James and led him around the castle. They eventually came to a downward spiraling staircase. It led to a cave under the castle. "Come, come," Rumplestiltskin continued to encourage James. "Look," he directed. "See."

"I just see a lot of white rocks."

"They aren't rocks, dear prince. They are bones, ground bones. From the hundreds of children she has brought here over many, many, many years. When they die, she takes them down here and the lake does the rest."

"She's a monster," said James, appalled now that he recognized what he was looking at.

"Not at all, James. She has long searched for the one child who will live once the heart is frozen. She just wants to find that one child who will stay with her for eternity. She didn't want any of these children to die."

Rumplestiltskin stood silently a moment while James digested this information.

"How dangerous is she?"

The creature looked at him for a long moment, "Well, she can't kill you with a single wave of her hand, or strip your sanity from you, or take away everything you hold dear or see the future." Again Rumplestiltskin gave his high pitched laugh. "But she can kill most people with three kisses. She may try to take someone's child. Prince James, she is very dangerous for she has no conscience, no empathy, no real feelings. But, if you want her at your wedding, I will bring her and return her here afterwards."

"Is there a price?"

"You will not hold _me_ responsible for her behavior. You will provide a room for us to share," the imp's request was simple enough. He shrugged. "We enjoy each other's company. We have things in common."

"People will want to thank her. . . and you. So, yes, please bring her and return her and you will have one room for one night." James agreed. _What had he agreed to?_


	12. Crossing a Line and Reckoning

+ + + + + _Crossing a Line_

It was early evening. "You bought a dress," he was surprised when Emma came down the stairs in a pretty floral dress, full skirt, square neckline. "Very pretty. I approve."

"Well, all I had were jeans, t's and leather jackets, so I did stop at one of those nice shops you had mentioned. This set you back alittle."

"Well worth every penny, I assure you." He got up from where he had been reading. "Ms. Swan, I want to show you something downstairs very quickly. Then, if you like, we can go out to eat someplace fitting for your new dress."

"Sure," Emma innocently followed him down to her old bedroom, at the bottom of the stairs.

"Have you gotten everything out of here?"

"I think so, moved it all up to your bedroom." She shook her head. "Still think it's a mistake but this whole thing is a mistake."

He stood between her and the door. "Ms. Swan, there is something I have to go and do that I am afraid you will try to stop me from doing."

Emma was immediately on high alert. She reached for her gun, her phone, her walkie-talkie and realized she had none of these on her person at the moment.

"You think that Regina is responsible for Margie's situation and letting you think some other girl was dead. You are going to go and have it out with her. You shouldn't do that. Nothing good can come of it. And I'm afraid one of you will lose your temper completely and hurt the other one."

"A realistic concern. We haven't done that so far, but we have come close." He had already started backing out of the room. Emma tried to make a dash, but he was too quick and closed the door between them. "There is something different about this room, my dear. You had called it a dungeon room. Well, you were correct. The lock is on the outside. It is quite secure," he called in through the door as he latched it shut.

Emma was furious and pounded on the door. "You can't do this! Don't do this! Let me out!"

He was calm and quiet when he replied. "I'm so sorry. As someone who's been locked up a couple of times, I know how you're feeling. I don't like doing this, but I have to be sure you won't try to intervene. You have a habit of intervening in things you shouldn't, Ms. Swan. It's probably your least attractive quality. I tolerate it because you have so many other attractive qualities. I regret I will have to owe you supper as my visit with Regina isn't scheduled until very early in the morning. I will be back to get you out for breakfast, my sweet."

He could hear some interesting language coming from dear Emma. She was quite angry. If she'd had active magical energy he would be feeling some stings, but fortunately for him, in this world, she was only spewing words, including some colorful profanity. By the time he got to the top of the stairs, the yells, screams, and curses were already muffled and when he shut the hallway door, all was quiet.

Now to wait until time to visit Regina.

+ + + + + _Reckoning_

Regina awoke with his hands on her throat. Gold was sitting on her chest, straddling her, his knees drawn up to under her arms. This all seemed too familiar.

"Tell me, tell me why I shouldn't kill you?" he demanded.

She gasped, "What, what are you talking about?" She struggled to push him away, to get his hands off of her throat.

"You lied about Belle. She lived. She's alive in this world. You have her locked away in a mental institution, probably drugged out of her mind. You're keeping her from me."

"Get off of me, you maniac. You want to talk, we talk. But not with your hands around my throat." She was furious but still cautious enough not to challenge him directly, not here, not now.

He shifted to the bottom of the bed, still within striking distance. "Talk, bitch. Save yourself."

"Listen, I probably did you both a favor. She _was_ locked away in a tower. No one would have anything to do with her, after being with _you."_

"I never touched her."

"Yes, but you know everyone assumed you had kept her as your whore. You are a monster after all. No one believed she'd remained a virgin after being your prisoner for all those months. Which, why was that? She's a beautiful girl. You didn't practice that much restraint when I was your girl," Regina shrugged and continued, "Well, anyway after she had been with you, no one wanted to have anything to do with her. She was left all alone, completely by herself. Poor thing."

"She could have come back to me. She would have been welcome. I would have given her a home"

"Did she know that? Didn't you tell her to go, that you loved your power more than you loved her? That she could never, ever love you, no one could ever, ever love you?" Regina drew herself up. "Why would you think that when she was absolutely destitute, shunned by everyone who ever cared about her, rejected by the man, pardon me, the creature, she loved, that she would have returned to that creature? I would think that she would have been afraid that you would have killed her."

"Why did you tell me she killed herself?"

"To protect you, Rumple dear. If you believed she was dead, you would get on with things. Otherwise you were going to be moping about, pining for the little virgin. I couldn't let that happen with you. It would have made you so much less of a resource, so less powerful."

Regina got out of the bed and continued. "But you may be right. I shouldn't have lied. You would have gone after her. And there it is: The Choice. Your love or your power. You couldn't have both. You can't have both. If she'd been with you, I'm sure she would have gotten around to kissing you and would have turned you back into an ordinary man."

Regina considered this and smiled. "An ordinary man. Do you know how much I would enjoy having you as an ordinary man? Do you have any idea of what I would do to you? I would take years to take my revenge. A little. Every day. Every way. I'll admit it was my original intention, but you resisted it and chose power over love. Such are the fortunes of love and war."

She leaned in at him, "Don't you see I helped you out?"

"Helped me out? You must have been rehearsing this shit! Even as accomplished a liar as yourself couldn't make all this up on the fly. Every step you took has been to cause me grief or pain. To bring me down. You took away my choices. Telling me Belle had died was one of the greatest agonies of my life. I thought I was partly responsible. As you said why would anyone want her after she had been with me. I blamed her father and took my anger out on him. And here, I could have been helping her. You kept her from me. I cannot forgive you."

"Oh well, then, go and get her," Regina snapped and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can get daddy's permission. Set her up with private nursing care. Put her up in one of the rooms in your house. Go on and take her out to the park for a picnic once a week."

"I will do what I think is best for Belle. But," he stood. "I still have to decide what to do with you. You have crossed me yet again and I cannot let this go unpunished."

Regina became alittle wary. She had not seen him quite this angry, quite this determined in some time. Now that he was out, as it were, he would not hesitate to use what power he had. But, she reassured herself, his powers were bound and, now in this world, limited even further. She should be safe.

"You wanted Rumplestiltskin, my dear You would have been better off leaving him silent and impotent, but now that you insisted on letting him out. . ." he stood and gestured, waving one hand in the air in a gesture more typical of his fairyland counterpart. He gave his high-pitched laugh before continuing. " Now, I know you are thinking that my powers here are going to be quite limited, a pale reflection of what I was once capable of."

He continued, "Did you know the spell they used was limited and would bind only the amount of magic I was using at the time of the binding?" He laughed again. "So I wasn't using very much. It was necessary for them to imprison me, so that you would come and get the final step of the spell. I was the one who arranged to give them the idea of binding my powers."

"Now," he explained, "it does take some little effort. But I'm still capable of this," and with both hands raised he snapped his fingers and Regina became a rat. "I believe this was your last transformation of choice. Now, I could just leave and you would remain this way, but with our new sheriff in town, if you disappeared, well, she might arrest me on suspicion of your demise and, although remote, I don't want to risk jail time for your death." The rat hissed and approached Gold. He shoved it back with his cane. "I'm not risking you biting me, Regina. I'm sure you're toxic." He set the cane aside and snapped both fingers on both hands again and Regina was on the floor. She quickly righted herself, shaken.

"Rumple, darling, please. . ." She tried to right herself, but Gold had picked up his cane and held it over her.

"Stay there for the moment, dearie. I'll think you'll hear me better if you are on your knees." He watched Regina reluctantly remain on the floor. She was trembling, with fear or anger, or likely both. "You are to behave yourself. I don't want a single wisp of trouble out of you."

Regina raised her hand as if to strike out at him, but then lowered it.

Gold laughed. "As long as you hesitate, you are not ready to confront me. Your powers are no match for mine. You remember that. I have so many ways to punish you and now that you know that I have not forgotten a thing, you know I will not hesitate to come at you."

He came up to her and pulled her to her feet. "My dear, there is no one who loves you and there never will be. But there is someone you love, as much as you are capable of the feeling." He stood very close to her, face to face. "And I'm going to take him away from you. Your son, Henry. You're going to lose him. Not today, not tomorrow, but soon. Enjoy your time with him." He pulled her over to him and kissed her on the mouth. "And don't interfere with me and Margie-Belle. Don't interfere with me and Ms. Swan. I have so many ways I can punish you, cripple you, kill you, if I need to," he promised her. "You will behave, won't you, dearie?"

Regina was livid but did not trust herself to take try to him down, not right now. She had pushed him to reveal himself and had gotten more than she had bargained for. She knew him well enough to know he would not tolerate any disrespect or any challenges from her right now. _But she also knew he would sooner or later get distracted by one of his little whores or one of his many 'deals' and get slack and then maybe she would have her chance. _

She lowered her head, as if she was defeated and contrite. She made her lip tremble, just a little, as if she was genuinely sorry. "I will not interfere, I promise," she said in a tiny, sweet voice. "Rumple," she allowed one hand to touch his arm as if she were about to caress him. "It's been so long. I've missed you."

He was momentarily puzzled. "Regina, am I to understand that even though I have just knocked you around, magically speaking, you are suggesting that we. . . that we. . ."

"You know how good it can be between us," she persisted. "You remember some of the things I used to do for you, some of the things you did to me," she was at her most charming, most inviting. She actually looked vulnerable and luscious.

Gold hesitated. They had had some good times together. It wasn't impossible that they would, at some point in time, unite again as allies. . . or lovers. And Regina was absolutely lovely, her dark hair tousled, her nightgown pulled low revealing her generous bosom.

But then he shook his head. "I may actually be developing scruples." He backed away from her, "Maybe another time, dearie. I'm still pretty pissed at you and I'm thinking 'viper's nest' when I look at your bed." He did smile at her on the way out. "But I do remember, my dear. We had some of our best times after I had. . . uh. . .disciplined you, didn't we? That was well played."

_Well damn. It had been worth a shot. For all his magic and all his power, Gold was still a man and, like any man, could sometimes get led around by his dumb-stick. So, it hadn't worked this time, but there would be other times. Emma Swan just wasn't fascinating enough to keep someone like Rumplestiltskin interested for long. _


	13. Future Plans

+ + + + + _Future Plans_

_He had given this next step considerable thought. There was something. He could almost see what it was. He knew for sure that he would need Ms. Swan and her cooperation. This was easy: Henry was the key with her. And as for Henry, his lovely mother, Ms. Swan, was the key. Have one, have the other. With Henry, he could get her to agree to anything, including marriage. Was marriage what he needed to have with her? It could be very agreeable. And, perhaps, when she broke the curse. . . it would be even better. But he didn't know. He couldn't quite see. But he didn't want to make any deals just yet, not without knowing._

He opened the dungeon door cautiously, bracing for flying objects. Emma was sitting still on the bed facing the door. She rose calmly and silently to walk out of the room.

"It went very well, I think," he offered, pleasantly. "Shall we go get breakfast?" he offered her his arm.

"Why, why would you think I would have anything more to do with you? I have no more tolerance for you." She spoke quietly, she had gone so far beyond anger. "I need to get my things, move out of your house, end this stupid engagement and have absolutely nothing more to do with you." She avoided contact with him.

"You could, you probably should, but you won't."

"Because? Give me one reason."

"Because I am going to help you get back Henry."

She stopped, caught up short, "You are the devil!" He had known, he had known just exactly what to say. The only thing that could reach her. Seductive, enticing, going right to her heart. "Get back Henry. You think you can do that?"

He nodded.

She hesitated, his promise of returning her son to her overwhelming her best judgment, her good sense, her immediate anger. A deal with the devil, that's what she was looking at. Was she willing to pay his price? "Well, I am moving out of your bedroom and I don't want back in this room, not ever."

"Of course not. Take your pick of the empty rooms." He was so accommodating.

"You will promise me that you will never do anything like locking me in a room overnight again."

"I'll do my best," he hedged.

"Promise me, you son of bitch, promise me," she insisted.

He smiled, "I promise I will never lock you in this room overnight again."

"Any room," she persisted.

"I promise I will never lock you in any room overnight again."

He followed her up the stairs.

"You didn't find it kinda hot?" he asked.

She stopped. "You sick bastard. No. I didn't find it kinda hot."

"Maybe I should have taken off your clothes before I left you there."

"Are you insane?"

"Not at all, I've just been around bossy women enough to know that occasionally being dominated is very stimulating for them."

"Well, not this time, you pervert. I've got to pee. I'm starving. My new dress is all wrinkly. I was scared something would happen to you and nobody would know where I was and I would die down there."

"Ms. Swan, if you quit trying to intervene in things, I will not have to keep stopping you from intervening."

She turned on him. "No, this wasn't my fault and you can't make it so," she kept on up the stairs. "I really do have to pee."

He was surprised, stunned even, that after changing out of the wrinkly dress into her usual jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, she actually agreed to get breakfast with him. She was armed now and carried her radio. "You owe me big time, huge time. I want the most expensive breakfast they have. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, oatmeal, hash browns, toast, coffee, juice, milk. Hell, if they have grits in Maine, I want some of those too." None the worse for her ordeal of the night before, she ate with appetite and gusto. He had coffee and toast.

"You said it went well with Regina?" she finally paused between bites to ask him about the night before.

"As these things go." As if nothing had happened between them, Gold shared his plans for Marjorie French. "I would prefer to have her at the house, but I think it would cause too much gossip and would be too hard to explain, especially with me having a fiancée right now." He actually winked at her. "I don't want anyone to know that I am her benefactor. If there is a recovery, I don't want Margie to have anyone thinking there has been anything between us. I have a small house near town that I can put her in with round-the-clock nursing staff. She'll need to be a room with lotsa sunlight, not in a basement nor any upstairs room. I want the old doctor in town to look at her. I trust his opinion more than others. To look over her medication and work with us on a treatment plan. I don't know if she'll even see me, if that would even be a good idea. I'm not expecting to gain any kind of relationship." _It's too late for that. He and Belle would never be able to be together, to have a future together. He needed to help her heal, let her go and hope that she found someone else, someone else better than himself. _

Emma shook her head, "All this is to ease your conscience about what happened with some other girl."

"Yeah, it helps, it really helps."

"What did the rat-bitch say about what you were doing?"

Gold looked sharply at Emma. "Odd you should use that term, Ms. Swan. _You may be more intuitive than I thought. _Let's say that Regina hissed and spit but went along with things. Right now, I think I've managed to back her down some. She thinks I'm going to take Henry away from her."

"And why would she think that?"

"Because that's what I told her I was going to do. And I am. We'll work on this together, getting that child away from her."

Emma was still shaking her head. "I know you said that, but I don't know. The adoption was pretty cut and dried. I gave up all my rights. You can't just make that go away."

"Oh, you might be surprised what I can do," he gave her one of his crooked smiles. "I was involved in handling the adoption, remember. Paperwork gets lost. It's not _exactly_ what we remembered it was. New paperwork gets found."

"Nothing illegal," cautioned Emma.

"Ms. Swan, how did you make it to your age being so moral, so moral?" he asked. He leaned back and hesitantly shared, "If we're going to make this work, we will need to continue with the engagement alittle longer before we arrange for you to publicly dump me."

"Well after last night, I'm not so sure. I can't trust you to do something over the top."

"Stay with me for Henry?"

Emma sighed. He just kept twisting that knife he had driven into her heart. "All right, maybe we can go alittle longer." _Why did she hear the sound of a bolt being slid and a lock clicking shut? _

"A deal then," he seemed rather satisfied. "Any sense about a possible pregnancy?" he asked.

"No, I'm not worried yet. It's just been a couple of days. Plenty of time."

"I would be fine with a baby, you know, but I would then insist on going through with the marriage."

"You would? I don't know about getting married under those circumstances."

"Would it be so bad, so bad being married to me, Ms. Swan? I know you don't like me or trust me, but usually we get along. We certainly respect each other. We have excellent sex."

"But we don't love each other," Emma observed

"No, but maybe that would come."

"Maybe then, maybe we should wait until it comes before we get married," Emma responded.

"Perhaps, but right away, I do want you to arrange for a day trip to Boston, go to one of the nicer wedding salons, and pick out the most beautiful dress you can find. Money is no object, $20,000, hell, $50,000, whatever it takes. I want you to buy yourself a dress fit for a banphrionsa, a princess. I'd like you to take Regina with you. For all her faults, she has excellent taste and she'll make sure you get the most expensive dress in the store if she knows I'm buying. And take Mary Margaret, she'll be sure you get a dress for a princess. _And she is your mother, after all a girl should have her mother with her at this time. _ Even if we don't end up getting married, you'll have a dress for whatever prince rides in on his white horse and carries you off. Any dress you find will be yours to keep."

"I can't let you do that. And who would spend $50,000 on one dress?"

"I can and you will. Consider it a thank you for helping me with Margie and agreeing to stay on with me after I locked you up for the night." He left a hundred dollar bill on the table and got up to leave. He leaned down and whispered, "And you are thinking about how it would have been last night if I had stripped you before I locked you up."

"Go away," she snapped. _Impossible, arrogant man. And damn,it. Yes I am. _

+ + + + + _Wedding Dress Plans_

"How's the engagement going, Sheriff?" Regina had dropped by the jail on route to her office. Emma felt odd, knowing that Gold had just had that early morning visit with the Mayor and who-knows-what had happened between the two. There were no obvious bruises or anything to indicate that he had knocked her around. She didn't have an obvious after-glow so he probably hadn't boinked her either.

"Pretty well, he wants me to go to Boston and pick out a dress. He suggested I take you and Mary Margaret." Emma responded. "Are you up for a dress buying trip?" She was _so_ hoping Regina would refuse.

Regina considered, knowing well enough that, especially right now, any 'suggestion' from Gold was a command. "Well, if he's suggesting it, I'd love to come with. I'd be sure you got a dress that hit him hard in the wallet."

"That's what Gold said. He said Mary Margaret would be sure the dress would be fit for a princess."

"I would agree with that, too, although I'll tell you up front that she is not one of my most favorite people. Go ahead and get an appointment and we three will head down to Boston," agreed Regina.

"You're serious."

"Absolutely. I could do with getting away from town for a day. Did he give you a budget for the dress?"

"Insane. He said $20,000 to $50,000."

"Excellent. We'll get that done." Regina sat down across from Emma. "You know, I don't approve of your relationship with Gold. I've tried to warn you about him. Eventually it will be like waking up to find you've let a goblin in your bed. You will find out some things about him that will be difficult to live with, I can promise you. But I will give him this, he can be extraordinarily generous and," she lowered her voice, "he is an excellent, imaginative lover."

Emma wondered again _had sex been part of the package between Gold and Regina last night. _She just smiled. "He had shared that you two had a little history."

"Did he tell you my first time with him that I was just sixteen and a virgin? Probably glossed over that part." Regina said snidely. "Nowadays, we'd send his ass to jail for what he did then, but it was long ago now and I seemed to have survived."

Emma didn't respond. She hadn't known this. She knew Regina was trying to get her upset _and doing a pretty good job of it_. _Looking forward to that long drive to Boston with the bitch. Thank you, Gold._

+ + + + + _Leaving for Boston_

It was a week later in the early morning. Emma had parked her car by the pawn shop. She shared with Gold, "I've checked on Marjorie. Doc is slowly reducing her medication. Apparently she was on a crapload of Thorazine which made her pretty non-functional. He thinks she would benefit from talking with Archie and is going to let you know that he will set that up. Archie will need to go to the house to see her; she's not really ready to get out and be around people yet. Have you been to see her yet?"

He shook his head. _He didn't know if he could manage it. _"No, I don't know that me seeing her right now would help anything. I appreciate you checking on her for me."

"Well, that was easy to do. However, you are going to owe me for this wedding dress trip. I'm not so sure that I shouldn't count this as the favor you keep reminding me that I owe you. I am not looking forward to this at all."

"You are a fascinating woman, Ms. Swan. Most women, given a virtually unlimited budget to buy a wedding dress would be . . . happy. Even if they weren't enamored of the groom or the idea of being a bride. They would be looking forward to the experience."

"Well they would actually be getting to marry somebody they were in love with and wouldn't have to spend the day with Regina."

_Was he laughing at her? _ "Perhaps. No, this doesn't count as the favor you owe me. I will let you know when the time comes for you to pay me back. You will have no confusion and no misunderstandings."

_When he spoke of the favor, it always sounded like a threat. _Emma repressed the urge to shudder.

The appointment was later that morning at an exclusive wedding salon in Boston, Gold's connections had expedited the appointment. They were being joined by Zorie, who had initially turned them down, but with additional pleading from Emma, who was exceptionally nervous about the entire enterprise, had reluctantly agreed. Regina was driving them all in her luxury town car. Gold had agreed to take charge of Henry for the day, something that Henry had not been exceptionally eager to experience. His other option was to go with his mother while she tried on wedding dresses she could wear to marry the man. He was less eager for the second option than the first.

Both Regina and Emma had reassured him that he would have an interesting time with Gold who would likely let him rummage through the back room of his shop. Gold had seen them off, standing with the child by his side.

Gold was having the oddest feeling. Watching Emma walk to the car he abruptly saw her in a different light. She was stunningly beautiful, with an aura of power around her. He realized that he was seeing her as if she were in Fairyland. She took his breath away. He was almost knocked down by this premonition. He could _see _the pathway. What had just been a mere casual notion was now a powerful perception and he knew what he needed to do. What would give him the greatest comfort, the greatest power, the greatest pleasure. Here and in Fairyland. When she got back, he would begin in earnest.

Emma was having the oddest feeling. Seeing them together. The two had the same stance, the same shaped face, the same eyes, the same hair, the same crooked half-smile _and both had that same devious, intelligent mind. _She almost stopped breathing.

Both Gold and Henry smiled and waved them off. Gold stood a moment considering. Four of the most beautiful women in town. At one time or another he had thoroughly kissed each and every one of them and had thoroughly bedded three of them. Despite all the problems he was dealing with, in so many ways, life was good.

"Henry," he addressed the child as soon as the car was out of sight. "They'll be fine as long as your mother is with them. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I don't guess anything terrible will happen to them if she's along."

"You don't like me, do you?" Gold was direct.

"No sir. You're kinda scary," Henry admitted.

Gold shrugged. "Yes, I've been told that. You know I'm not trying to hurt Ms. Swan. I really like her. I like her a lot."

"Are you going to marry her?"

Gold smiled and said honestly, "I think I might."

Henry screwed up his face. "So that would almost make you like my step-dad?"

"Almost," Gold agreed. The two stood in silence for awhile. "Do you want to get a cone?" he asked Henry abruptly.

Henry shrugged in almost perfect imitation of the one Gold had just made. "Sure."

+ + + + + _Swab_

Emma waited for an opportune moment during the long drive down to Boston. She led the conversation to Henry and what a great kid he was and how proud Regina must be of him. She tried to keep her question casual sounding, "Regina, I know that Gold was the one who set up the adoption with you and actually brought Henry from Arizona here to Storybrooke. I'm always amazed at the contacts he has. Had he had to leave Storybrooke earlier in the process or had he been able to do everything from there?"

Regina considered. "He left town once earlier on, I'm remembering. He'd said there were some things better done in person. I think everything else was done here."

"A lot of connections," she reiterated keeping her voice even. Regina's response actually alarmed her. She wanted to ask if he were gone _nine months_ before the baby was born. This was so creepy, so unlikely, so disturbing, so implausible _but what if it were true?_

Emma knew what she would do with a client in this situation. Suggest a cheek swab. She should be able to get one from Gold, alcohol could be involved, sex could be involved. She had moved out of his bedroom after the Overnight Locked-In Incident, but had only made it three nights before somehow, she'd found herself sitting on his lap at the dinner table letting him finger feed her tiramisu. Resolve-wise things had fallen apart from there and, while she still managed to spend some time in the third floor bedroom she had selected for herself, she was tending to either begin or end the night in his bed. Yeah, she should be able to get a cheek swab. She would check this out. It would come back "no match" and she'd be able to put the odd feeling to rest.

_This was my original point of ending with the intention of leaving some issues hanging; however, I've had such lovely reviews that I have expanded on the storyline and have elected to continue with some more (really) speculative writing. I am always hesitant to move too far and fast ahead of the show, because I know I'll almost certainly end up rather afield from the show's storyline in some darn alternate time-line. Right now it looks like Emma may be heading out with typewriter-boy (who is he anyway? one of the Grim brothers? Gold's "lost" son? the big bad wolf? I'm not in on this one yet). But, what the hey, hang tough with me. I'm a romantic so now we can look to have a happier ending for some of these characters. Thx txm _


	14. Back From Boston

+ + + + + _Back from Boston _

It was after nine when the four women made it back from Boston. As they pulled by the Pawn Shop to drop off Emma and pick up Henry, Gold could see all were smiling and apparently happy. To an outsider, the trip would have seemed to have gone well. Even though he was well aware that three of the women in car thought the engagement was likely a farce and the other one didn't care, he still gave Emma a warm hug and quick kiss on the mouth, just as any good fiancé would do. Henry gave him a wave from the car and he waved back. That had gone well, too.

"Tell me about your day. I want to hear all about it," he said as the car drove off.

Emma's voice was strained, but she said, "It was fine, just fine. How about your day with Henry? I know he was anxious about spending time with you."

_Something was up. _Gold began closing up his shop while he shared. "I think it went well, but you'll have to ask Henry. We got ice cream, came back to the shop. He poked around, wanted me to show him how to use the spinning wheel. I showed him. He did that awhile. He then came back and asked, I think, a minimum of ten questions on each and every single item here in the shop. 'What was it?' 'Where did it come from?' 'How much was it worth?' and so on. I've been grilled by police with less intensity. Pretty impressive."

Emma was smiling at this. She allowed Gold to take her back to her car which she had parked around the corner of the shop earlier in the day and then drive her to his home.

He continued with his story. "Let's see. Next, we went to the Diner for lunch. We both had hamburgers. He eats his fries with mustard, like I do. He got cherry pie for dessert. Then we came back to the shop. He waited on a couple of customers, apparently remembering every single thing I had told him about each and every single item. Then I taught him how to play cribbage. He caught on to it pretty fast and he actually beat me one round. We were just playing 61."

At Emma's puzzled look, he explained, "Just once around the pegboard." She shook her head. He waved her off. "It's impressive that he genuinely beat me. I'm very good. I think we may end with a weekly play date.

Gold elected not to tell Emma about the questions Henry had plied him with during the card game.

"_A__re you and Emma going to have a baby?" Henry had asked the question abruptly. _

"_What?" Gold was taken aback._

_Henry patiently repeated his question. "Are you and Emma going to have a baby?"_

"_Well, I. . . uh. . . maybe. I don't know. Henry, why do you ask?"_

"_I just had a feeling. I know my mom is living in your house now and you seem to kiss her a lot."_

_Gold smiled. "I like kissing your mother, Henry. But she hasn't told me that she is going to have a baby. And a man waits for the lady to give him that type of news."_

"_OK," replied Henry, apparently satisfied for the moment. "Do you know anything about my real dad?"_

_This was dangerous territory. "I believe he was a fireman," he said hesitantly._

"_I think Emma told me that to make me feel better. But I don't think it's true."_

"_I think," Gold spoke slowly. "I think you may want to talk to your mother about this."_

"_I think my father was somebody else, maybe somebody bad, maybe somebody evil, and she knows I won't be happy when she tells me about him."_

_Gold cleared his throat. "I wouldn't know, Henry. Your mother has not talked about this with me."_

Gold continued talking with Emma about the rest of his day with her son. "Then for supper we had spaghetti. We came back to the shop and balanced the receipts and we waited for you. He seemed to have fun."

They pulled up to Gold's house and he parked along the side.

"It does sound like you had fun," she agreed.

"It was different. Not bad different, mind you." He considered. "Yes, I had fun." He let Emma into the house. "Now, let's hear about your day."

He was quite surprised when his self-sufficient, competent, calm and collected Ms. Swan burst into tears. "It was one of the worst days of my life." She collapsed into him, sobbing.

He held onto her and gently guided her into the living room. "Did Regina do or say something?" his first thought went to his nemesis.

Still crying, Emma shook her head, "No, she turned out to be very nice and very helpful."

"Did you not find a dress? I know that doesn't always happen the first time out."

Emma was able to sit up on the sofa and, wiping her nose on her hand, began. "We found a dress. It wasn't easy. The saleswoman wanted to know what I had in mind and, you know, I didn't have anything in mind. She started throwing these terms at me, mermaid, a-line, ball gown. I didn't know what the hell she was talking about. I said I just wanted something long and white."

"Well that would certainly narrow it down in a wedding dress salon," he commented dryly. This woman had the fashion sense of a piece of dental floss.

"Yeah. Well, Regina and Zurie came to my rescue. They started asking for more specific things and the woman came back with about a zillion dresses that they made me try on. At first I'd get these dresses on that nobody liked or just one person liked. After about an hour, I got some dresses that maybe two of them liked but the other one haaated." She elongated the vowel to emphasize the feeling. "It must have taken more than two hours, before I tried this one dress on. I thought it was the prettiest one yet, and then everyone in the group told me it was beautiful, that I looked like a princess. Then, I couldn't believe this, the actual dress designer was there and she came out and said that I was the one she had in mind when she designed the dress, that I looked like a fairy princess. All the salespeople gathered and said I was the one of the most beautiful brides they had ever seen. And even other brides were telling me how gorgeous I was. So I said, ok, let's get this one."

"That doesn't sound so bad," he said hesitantly.

Emma started with a fresh batch of tears and it took her a moment to pull herself together enough to continue. Gold provided her his own handkerchief to wipe her nose. "Then they told me it was fifty-two thousand dollars and I. . . I fainted, right there on the little standy thingy they had me on. It was so embarrassing. I came to in this mass of white fuu-fuu, " Emma waved her hands to simulate the yards of sumptuous white fabric she had had around her. "They had smelling salts under my nose and kept telling me this happened all the time, but I don't think it does. Regina kept telling me you wouldn't mind, that you wanted me to have the nicest dress. Zurie told me I would be the prettiest bride Storybrooke had ever seen. And Mary Margaret, she just started crying and said it was just so beautiful, it was the perfect dress and I should get it."

"So you got it?"

Emma nodded, still crying. "Uh huh. But, I kept thinking I could get two small cars for the price of that dress, or it's a down payment on a house or that's a whole lotta money for something I'm not going to wear but one time and maybe, maybe" she buried her head onto his shoulder, sobbing. "maybe not ever. This isn't a real engagement and I'm not really getting married and this seems like a lotta money for a pretend wedding."

He held onto her and began to rock back and forth. This was not his typical Ms. Swan. Not at all. Although, he was not as sensitive in this world to pregnancy as he had been in Fairyland, he was beginning to suspect. Hell, anybody would suspect if they saw this behavior from her.

He decided on a simple course of action and laid her down on the sofa they had been sitting on. She feebly protested, but he ignored her and removed her shoes. He laid down next to her, spooning with her, on the wide sofa cushions.

+ + + + + _Vanilla_

He had not had any intention of doing anything more with her, just holding and comforting her, but she smelled very good, like vanilla. He started lightly kissing her neck. She tasted like vanilla, too.

For a moment he felt like someone had hit him with cold water. What was it she had said about him? – that he smelled and tasted like cinnamon. Now he was smelling vanilla. It was probably her perfume, yes, yes, just her perfume.

He continued kissing her, feeling her little shivery responses. He reached under her shirt and, after unfastening her bra, began caressing her breasts and heard her whimper. He unzipped her pants and ran one hand inside next to her skin, between her legs and began a gentle massage of her most intimate area. She protested again and tried to move his arm, but her efforts were ineffectual and he persisted. He continued kissing along the nape of her neck, her ear. It didn't take long before he felt her response, a soft cry, quivering and jerking under his hand. She rolled back toward him.

"One moment, princess." He reached into his wallet for some protection, pulling off his own pants and underwear in one motion. He hadn't planned for it to go this far or he would have had a condom closer in

"No, please, now," she whispered. "Now."

_Damn._ "You'll survive, dearie." He prepped and then slid his hand down her side, removing her pants and panties with some gentle tugging before positioning and entering her, possessing her in one masterful motion, feeling her tremble and clasp him as she was pitched over the brink of ecstasy yet again..

+ + + + + _A Proposal_

It was alittle later. He was still holding onto her, like she was the most important thing in his world.

"That was very good," he whispered afraid of breaking the mood. "I hadn't actually planned to do this earlier. I had just thought you could use some comforting."

Emma giggled. "Best comforting I've had in awhile. You must have thought I was a crazy woman the way I just lost it." She rolled onto her stomach, propped up on her elbows, half-way lying on him and looked at him. "You know though, this was different. This is the first time I felt like you were 'making love' rather than 'having sex'."

"Really." He turned very serious. _This was a good time to push for what he wanted._ "Why don't we get married, now, today, uh, tomorrow? We can get a license and go to the courthouse, no hoopla. What you wanted."

"What?"

"I'm serious. Let's end this engagement. Let's get married. We can still go ahead with the formal ceremony later. You can wear the princess dress. But let's get married now."

Emma was confused. "I don't want to marry you. Why do you want to marry me? What changed your mind?"

"Henry asked me if I was planning to marry you and I surprised myself and told him that, yes, I was. Then after. . . this, it feels right. Emma, I can provide for you, give you everything you want, anything you want. We're very compatible."

Emma sat up. "But I still don't like you and I still don't trust you. And you, you don't like or trust anyone. I would have thought you would've wanted to wait to get a pre-nup at the very least before getting into a marriage."

Gold looked at her and cleared his throat. "I actually already have one prepared. You did know I passed the bar here in Maine and I can't resist a contract." He sat up. "I think you'll find that I've been very generous and, in the event we crash and burn as a couple, you'll be set up very nicely." He smiled at her. "I won't press for your answer right away, but soon."

Emma gave him a weak smile. _You would be a lawyer, wouldn't you? Well, I need to find out if you're the bastard who fathered my son first. And if I'm pregnant. _


	15. The Envelope

+ + + + + _Appreciation_

The next afternoon, Gold was met by a different gaggle of young girls as he entered the Crystal Cave. "Another class?"

Zurie laughed. "I have at least one everyday and several on Saturday. This was a jewelry making class. The girls like working with crystals and little seed pearls." She came over to kiss him, but he stopped her.

"I need to tell you some things, Zurie. I've proposed to Ms. Swan. She's thinking it over."

Zurie considered briefly. "You think she's pregnant, don't you? And if you propose before she tells you, she won't think you asked her to marry you just because she's having your baby. Very clever."

Gold smiled. There was a reason why he liked this woman. "You have a quick, deceitful, cunning mind, my dear. I've always appreciated that about you."

"So I'm correct?"

"Let's just say this was an opportune time for me to pursue my interests. And, my dear, I'm sorry but this means that I cannot see you anymore, intimately."

"Of course not. The phony fiancée might not object, but the real wife would. I understand." Zurie added, almost under her breath, "Though what you see in her, I don't see."

"Hardly your concern, my dear." He considered a moment and relented. "You're both like water, you take the shape of whatever you're poured into. But her blood is hot, whereas you are cool. You melt when I touch you; she sizzles. Right now, I find that I'm needing the heat." He reached forward and deliberately touched the blue crystal she always wore around her neck. She drew back from him, wary.

"I will not get in your way. I will not say or reveal anything about our history, you know that. I would never do anything to displease you," she promised.

He looked at her for a long moment. He had no doubt that she _remembered (she had been so very powerful as the Snow Queen that he doubted his curse could have completely wiped her memory) _but that was neither here nor there as long as she cooperative. "Thank you, my dear." He shrugged and continued with his business. "We also may be needing to change the date of the formal ceremony to a spring event."

Zurie let out her breath. She had not offended him. She replied, "Absolutely. You're thinking a quick, quiet ceremony now, followed by a traditional service later."

"Exactly. You understand."

"Yes. I can tell you that you aren't going to want that dress to go to waste. It is amazing. Truly fit for a princess. Covered in Swarovski crystals which is what raised the price. Since you're paying for it, you should be the one to enjoy the woman that will be in it."

"Ms. Swan told me it was an ordeal."

Zurie laughed. "I've been to a number of these. Hers was relatively easy but she's not one for shopping. You would've thought we were pulling out toenails the way she carried on. When she fainted," Zurie stopped. "She did tell you she fainted?"

"Yes, she said it was when she learned to cost of the dress."

"Yeah right. Mary Margaret and I looked right at each other and we both were thinking the same thing. Regina, I think, believes it was the price tag. We took Emma out and got her something to eat right after and she began to feel a lot better."

"Thank you for taking care of her."

Zurie responded, "You will get a bill. I went as a wedding planner, not a bff."

"Of course." He was about to leave, but hesitated. "Zurie, why haven't you had a child of your own? There are certainly enough men in Storybrooke who would be happy to help you out."

"Including yourself?"

"Maybe at one time," he admitted. "But not now, of course."

Zurie looked down, breaking eye contact. "I tried, a long time, but never conceived. I considered coming to you to see if you would help me like you did Regina, with an adoption, but I didn't think you would help me."

Gold shook his head. "No, I would not have, my dear."

"You helped Regina, knowing what she was, what she is. But you wouldn't help me, would you?"

"Knowing what you were, what you are, my dear, no, I wouldn't help you. I'm sorry."

"I understand, I don't like it, but I understand."

"Thank you Zurie." As he stood by the door he shared, "You have been remarkable company my dear. I shall miss you. I wish you the best."

+ + + + + _Bad Dream_

The first bad dream came after the night of the proposal. Emma found herself in a beautiful dress wandering around in a dark basement, no not a basement, a cavern of some sort. It was wet and cold. She felt frightened, very frightened, but was not sure why. She was looking for something, someone. She was so frightened she felt nauseated. It woke her up. She just managed to get to the bathroom to vomit.

+ + + + + _Dancing _

"There's the happy couple," observed Rumplestiltskin from the gallery. He was standing by the Snow Queen, resplendent in silver, blue and white. He was wearing a whitish version of his usual animal skins and feathers. He had combed his hair.

They had arrived the evening before and true to James's word, had been provided a room they were able to stay together in for the night. Early the next day, many people had flocked to see her, to thank her, to give her gifts, crediting her magic for saving their lives, the lives of their families. She played with her gifts like a child.

"I've never had presents before," she told Rumplestiltskin. "This is nice."

James had one of his ministers show her around the town and the castle. Most of the townspeople were awed by the sight of the two of them, he with his golden green skin and bizarre leather clothing and she with her silver blue skin and equally curious flowing, sparkling attire. They made an exotic couple and probably attracted more attention than the bride and groom. She was enchanted by every sight, every activity. But she was also timid and overwhelmed around so many people and strange sights and clung to him, which he did not object to. She was, after all, an extraordinary beauty and for now, his to enjoy.

"Where are the children?" she had asked.

"In their homes, at school, helping their families in their business," he had responded. He turned her to face him. "We talked about this. You cannot be around any children."

She pouted. "I just want one."

"Yes, but we know what happens to any one you pick. No children." He cautioned her.

They had watched the wedding from the gallery where they could see everything. Rumplestiltskin knew that James had provided this place to both give them a view and to put them out of the way. He did not object. The Snow Queen had just thought they had been given special seating. She thought the bride was very beautiful. "I like the white dress. It is like new snow. I may wear all white from now on. It is very pretty," she had whispered to her lover companion.

After the ceremony there was the uncomfortable interruption from the Evil Queen. The Snow Queen watched in fascination. "Why does she say what she is going to do to them? Why does she not just do it?" she asked.

"Because my dear Regina is given to the grand gesture. She likes to be the center of attention. Nothing subtle about her at all. She wants fear and admiration."

"She has interesting magic. Smoke and, what do you call it, translocation?"

"Yes, she has does have interesting magic." He was closely watching the crowd recover from Regina's interruption. They were going on with the celebration, as if nothing had happened. James had led Snow out to the floor and was dancing the first dance with her. "I believe my time is about to come." He led the Snow Queen down the stairs. As he had been instructed, James had provided two guards to watch the Queen while Rumplestiltskin was to claim his dance with Snow White. He cautioned them severely. "Don't let her touch you. Don't let her kiss you," before he left her with them.

Of course, Snow White had not been happy when she was told about being offered as part of the price for Rumplestiltskin helping them with the Blue Crystal, but she had accepted it with some semblance of strength and dignity, as part of her duty as the people's new queen.

"It's just one dance. We'll be out in the open. He wouldn't try anything in a large crowd, would he?" she had told herself and James. Several times, she told herself, "It's just one dance. It's just one dance." Nonetheless she was near trembling when she saw him on the other side of the room coming across the floor to claim her for the dance.

It was time for the second dance and the floor cleared. As Rumplestiltskin approached, the crowd parted, giving away, allowing him an unemcumbered path. Everyone was watching him. He gracefully bowed low to the new bride. "My dear, again we meet. And at your wedding. How delightful. You are absolutely lovely." He took her hand and led her out to the center of the floor. No one else joined them, all standing by to watch the odd couple.

Snow White wondered briefly if he had cast a glamour over her. She was not as repulsed as she had thought she would be. He was gentle with his touch and, surprisingly, an excellent dancer. Well, maybe he held her a little too closely and his hand was a bit low on her backside. His eyes were very dark, like deep pools, and she found herself falling into them. He didn't speak to her, just moved her around the floor to the music. She felt they were going faster and faster. She allowed herself to be caught up in the rhythm of the music. She found herself relaxing in the creature's arms, almost like she was in another time and place, almost as if she were dreaming and floating and flying. At the end of the dance, her eyes were half-closed. With one hand, he tilted her head up and kissed her thoroughly, knowing, expecting, James to pull them apart. Snow responded to his kiss, raising her hand to his shoulder to support herself. She felt her knees begin to weaken and knew he was supporting her weight as she began to slip away.

"That was not part of the bargain, imp," James had sprinted onto the dance floor and nearly shouting, he pulled Snow White away. She fell back into her husband's arms, shaking herself out of her stupor.

"But no harm done and I've left all the best parts for you, dear boy," and, with a hint of smirk, Rumplestiltskin bowed to the Prince and to Snow White."

"You probably need to go now," suggested James, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword.

Rumplestiltskin was amused. "Indeed, I thank you for your hospitality. I shall collect my lady and we shall go." He turned but the Snow Queen was not where he had left her. He turned back to James. "Your people are missing as is my Snow Queen. I warned you, James."

If required only a short search. The two guards were found, sitting quietly, their faces blanks.

Rumplestiltskin was disgusted. "She's kissed them each twice, once to numb cold, the second time to numb memories. I told them not to let her touch them. Ten minutes, Prince! Your people couldn't manage her for ten minutes! This was your idea for me to bring her here. You didn't believe me when I told you how dangerous she was."

There was a thorough search of the grounds and, as Rumplestiltskin had predicted, the Queen was found with a child, a young boy who had been watching what he could of the wedding from a rooftop. He was obviously fascinated with the Queen. She turned as soon as the guards approached, smiled and stood, calmly leaving the child.

Rumplestiltskin was angry with her. "I had told you not to approach any children. And you damaged James' s people. It's difficult enough for me to come and go among these people without you terrorizing them. We are leaving now."

"I did nothing but talk with the child, Dark One. The soldiers will eventually recover. No harm done."

He glared at her, "Why is every woman in my life a liar?" he asked himself. "I know better. Your kisses are like permafrost. The soldiers will not get better. As for the child. . . we shall see." He wrapped his arms around her and they vanished, along with her presents.

The boy watched them. He held what appeared to be a small crystal, but on closer inspection was a sliver of mirrored glass. It was a sharp shard and cut him as he held onto it and then it dissolved into his skin. He murmured, "Goodbye Lady. I shall look for you in the winter."

In her own mind she heard him and said quietly "Goodbye Kai, I shall come for you in the winter."

+ + + + + _Bad Dream Again_

Emma was having the same dream every night. It was incredibly real. The sights, the sounds, the tactile senses, everything. Same dress, same cavern, dark, cold, wet. Looking for something, somebody. The fear so strong it made her ill. She had made her way to the back of the cavern and found a cage. Was it made of animal bones? The spines reached down and up like the opening of a giant maw held just closed enough to prevent anything from getting out. There was something in there. Something knew she was there. Something was looking at her. She woke up, again sick to her stomach.

"Are you alright, princess?" He soothed her hair back as she retched into the trashcan that was kept in the bathroom off his bedroom. In a moment he wet a washcloth to help her wipe off her face.

"Yeah, it was that terrifying dream again. I'm so scared that I wake up ill."

"Anything different this time?" he asked, neutrally, feeding her some saltines that he had brought up to keep in the bedroom after the second time she had awakened vomiting.

"Yeah, this time I could sense there was something inside the cage that knew I was there."

_Damn, he knew exactly what she dreaming about. Why was she having these dreams now? Was it some form of premonition to warn her about him? What would happen when she got far enough along to recognize the creature in the cage? Would she recognize the creature in the cage? _

"I'm so sorry. The dream sounds terrifying."

"There's just more and more of it. I don't know where it will end," she sniffed and blew her nose on the washcloth. "Thanks, for a guy who'd foreclose on a bunch of nuns if he could, you've been so nice while I'm going through this. I know I've become this emotional wreck recently. I don't know what's going on."

He smiled and stroked her hair. _How could she not know? Was she just that deep in denial, that clueless?_ "It's a different side of you. Vulnerable, I would say. I don't mind. I like being able to take care of you." He kissed her on the forehead.

+ + + + + _The Envelope_

It had been another week. Her boobs hurt, her back hurt, she just wanted to nap all the time. She was two weeks late. She was throwing up every morning. Sure the horrible dreams provided some excuse, some cover, but Gold had to be an idiot if he didn't suspect what was up – and the man was no idiot. Emma had finally made herself buy a pregnancy test, waiting until there was no one else in the drug store (like that would keep it a secret) and made herself pee on the stick. There it was, two pink lines, up and down, two of them. _Damn it. Damn him. Damn 15%. Damn. Damn. Damn._

She thought that she'd be crying, but oddly she felt at peace. Another baby. This one she would not be giving away. This one she would be able to take care of. And at least she knew for sure who the father of this baby was. She felt she could manage this. Alone if she had to.

But now something else had happened.

She was sitting at her desk in the Sheriff's office and holding an envelope in her hand. The other test results. She would know, almost certainly. As soon as she opened it. She'd had them send the results to the Sheriff's department. It had been waiting for her when she came in. All she had to do was open it. She would know.

If it was negative, if the percentage was low, then she could lay all of her suspicions to rest. It had all been just a silly notion based on strange, circumstantial, casual observations. It was almost certain to be negative. It was going to be negative.

But what if it was positive? What if the percentage was high? What if he was the father? What if? What if? What would she do?

She took a deep breath.

She opened the envelope.

She read the report.

She laid the report down on the desk.

99.8%

_Damn. Damn. Damn. _


	16. Revelation

+ + + + + _Revelation_

Emma had gone on to meet Gold for breakfast at the Diner as she did every morning. No reason to do anything different this morning, just because this morning was so different.

"Are you ready to answer, my dear?" He had been asking the same question every morning at breakfast for the past week.

"Maybe," Emma responded. "Tell me how you plan to get Henry away from Regina, first."

Gold knew something was up. Emma seemed on edge. "Maine requires that the father give consent for the adoption. There is no time limit."

"So you plan to find Henry's father and compel him to ask for Henry back?"

"Essentially."

Emma sat a moment. "And how do you plan to do that? I've looked for the man for nearly ten years and haven't had any luck and I'm a highly motivated professional."

Gold almost smiled. "I handled a good part of the adoption as the attorney and may have access to some information that you were not able to get."

Emma sat quietly. Finally, after a long moment, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out the report she had received from the DNA group. "This might help you," she handed it over to him.

He read it quietly. "99.8%. That's pretty conclusive. This is the father."

"Yeah."

He got up from the table and walked over to a window, attracting attention from the other diners. He stood for a moment looking outside before returning to the table. He spoke very quietly, "You must have swabbed me when I was asleep. Congratulations, I didn't realize that you could be so. . . so sneaky. Tell me, what tipped you off?"

"You two are incredibly alike, you look alike, you sometimes think alike. It was just an odd feeling and I went with it."

"Intuition, then. Very good," he was complimentary. "You've got to have questions and I know you are going to punch me at some point."

"How is it that you knew and I didn't? How, when were you planning on telling me?" she demanded.

"I was considering involving a large amount of alcohol and going from there."

"Was this part of one of your plans?"

"The brutal, simple truth, Ms. Swan? I had gone to Phoenix on a business trip. One evening, I felt the need for some feminine companionship. Now I might have ordinarily have handled this with a discrete phone call, but not having any contacts in the town, I just went looking. And your very fine little arse with your very fine red underwear came along and you hopped right in my car. You were already pretty high on something when you got in the car and then we had a couple of drinks and, yes, I know, you were under the legal drinking age. Probably why you don't remember me. _That and the glamour I put over you. _We negotiated a price for your 'services¸' had a lovely evening and I left you a very generous tip because of that little unexpected bonus you bestowed on me. I had had some concern that there might have been some. . . failure of protection during that night so I decided to keep tabs on you. It wasn't hard, you were cutting quite the swathe. When I found out you were pregnant, I had you thoroughly investigated; your history is well documented. Smart girl, bad choices. I began the negotiations to get the baby and paid you very, very well. For once you used your brains and used the money to straighten out your life."

He paused. "I didn't plan any of this. But if we hadn't met, if you hadn't gotten pregnant, if I hadn't paid you for the baby, then I wonder where you would be now. You had little education and no real prospects when I met you."

Emma sat quietly. "This sounds all well and true. But my BS meter is going off. Gold, I can tell when people are lying."

"Then let's go with Henry's story. I am a magical creature who tracked down the eighteen year old child of Snow White and Prince Charming because I needed to have a way to get her back here when she was twenty-eight to break the curse of the Evil Queen. I thought that impregnating her with a precocious child, whose teacher I would later provide with a book that told the whole Fairytale story, who would give the child that book which would precipitate a psychotic state so that this child would become convinced we were living in a parallel universe. He would then track down his mother and go and get her. Well, that would be the best way to get her back here. All part of an insidious master plan. You decide what makes the most sense."

"Oh shit," Emma rubbed her head, _It did sound like crap. _"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"To what end. Emma? I knew you were looking for me, but I had more money than you had skills and resources. I naturally thought that you were going to try to blackmail me. When you first showed up in Storybrooke, I wasn't sure if you hadn't finally tracked me down for that reason. This type of thing has happened before. Prominent businessman gets a young girl pregnant. I know I have a sordid reputation and most of it is well deserved, but I didn't want to add that I had gotten an eighteen year old whore knocked up. Not something I'm particularly proud of, although I do think that Henry is remarkable." He waited a moment to let his words sink in. "Do you want to go ahead and punch me now?"

"I'm thinking of shooting you. Nothing serious, mind you, maybe just a flesh wound."

"I already have a bum leg, woman. What else would you take from me?"

Emma sat another moment and in a quiet voice she said, "I wasn't a whore and you know that better than anyone."

"I do," he replied kindly. "I wasn't expecting a young woman in the new millennium to still be innocent. I have never understood what you were doing walking the street, particularly in that neighborhood if you weren't peddling yourself."

"Smart girl, bad choices," she repeated what he had said earlier. "I'd always believed that the man who had me that night went in and out of my life with no concern, no caring. You're telling me that you watched over me and did what you could to set things right. That's a lot for me to take in. That's an entirely different slant on things." Emma wiped her eyes. _Had she been crying?_ She seemed unduly subdued. "So, yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, if this will get me Henry back, I'll marry you. I don't love you. I'm pretty sure you don't love me. But all right." She took a deep breath. "So we come forth with this information. We are the biological parents. I gave up rights, but you didn't."

He didn't respond at once. "Ms. Swan, Emma, are you sure? About marrying me?"

"Yeah, why not? You're not bad to look at. You have beautiful eyes. You appear to be very wealthy. Like you said, you can take care of me. Buy me anything I might want. You're usually nice to me, nicer than you are to other people that I've seen. And we have really great sex. And I believe you when you say you can get Henry back for me. Maybe this is my way to finally have a family and a home."

"I've had a family and a home and I lost both. You've never had either, I can't imagine what that must be like. Ms. Swan, please hear me, believe me. I want this to work," he reached for her hand and held it.

She nodded, and put her other hand on top of his. "Me too. So, what I was saying. We come forth with this information. We are the biological parents. I gave up rights, but you didn't."

"Of course, but remember, you signed the paperwork giving up your rights under stress and duress," he added. "You understand, right? Do you see how if we are married, it makes our case even stronger against a single parent? We will be generous and be willing to allow visitation, but Henry will get to choose when he is fourteen and can decide if he still wants to see Regina." He then added. "That is provided you have not broken Regina's curse before then."

"So we find a judge?"

"I'm thinking the nice gentleman you had me appear before and pay off Mr. French's medical bills and forgive his loan might be the place to start."

Emma had a sudden thought. "Oh no, how do I tell Henry that is father is Lord Voldemort"


	17. Telling Henry

_Apparently an unusual number of people appreciated the reference to Lord Voldemort. _

_Please note, _I__do not_ equate Gold and Voldemort, although I think it likely that Emma and Henry would. While I would struggle to find any redeeming characteristics in Tom Riddle, I do want to think/believe there is something to salvage in Gold. I'm increasingly seeing him as a chaotic neutral character – driven by his own agenda, perhaps, but not inherently evil. He regularly deals with people who don't want to keep their end of bargains and others who (gasp) get what they wish for which is never a good thing, and then he has to suffer their indignation and anger. He does love his power and is not willing to give that up, even for love. Maybe the curse to be broken is not Regina's (boring curse that it is – eternity doing the same thing over and over – how does she stand it?) but his – and a theme I keep returning to is how can he keep his power and find love – if he could manage that, it would be breaking _his _curse. -twyla_

+ + + + + _Bad Dream_

The same dream, beautiful dress, dark, wet, cold cavern. Looking for something, somebody. The cage, something in there. Why did she not flee, run away? Why did she have to keep going forward? She could hear something moving. It was too dark to see. Something reached out and grabbed her.

She woke up screaming.

Gold had his arms around her, "Emma, Emma, you're ok. You're with me. You're safe." He procured a bucket he had taken to keeping by the side of the bed for her to throw up into.

"This was the worst," she muttered. "Something reached out and grabbed me. It was a hand, but it wasn't human. It was green and had almost like black claws. And I couldn't get away."

"My poor darling. You're safe now. You're with me." He reiterated. "You're with me." He rocked her and spoke calmly, soothing her, stroking her.

_Too soon, too harsh. He would have to go more slowly._

+ + + + + _A Short Postponement_

They had agreed to postpone any ceremony until Emma could talk with Henry. Gold called Regina and asked if the boy could come by his shop after school. He let her know that he and Emma were wanting to go ahead and move on the marriage as soon as possible, but Emma had wanted to talk with Henry first.

"Does she have any idea what she's getting?" Regina asked Gold.

"She seems content."

"At the moment, maybe. I know how agreeable you can be when you want something. Right now, you're all sugar and spice."

"Cinnamon," Gold said.

"What?"

"She says I taste like cinnamon."

Regina considered and she actually laughed. "I hadn't thought of it before, but, yes, you do. That must be part of your uncanny appeal. But seriously, have_ you_ thought through this? What happens if she realizes what you are? What happens if she falls in love with you? You're willing to risk everything?"

"I'm Gold now and this is right for me, Regina. Get Henry over to the shop this afternoon," he directed.

+ + + + + _Telling Henry_

Henry was wary when coming into Gold's shop that afternoon. He was less leery of the man than he had been prior to spending a day with him, but was still cautious around him. Henry still wasn't sure about Gold, other than feeling strongly that the man was not good. When he saw Emma, his face brightened. "Emma, mom said you found the most beautiful dress in the world." They went into the back room together.

"I did, Henry, and your mother helped a lot," Emma replied.

"So you are actually going to get married to Mr. Gold?" his face showed concern.

"What did you think of him, that day you spent together?"

"He's really, really smart and he knows a lot of things. He was nice to me but it's like he's hiding stuff. We really don't see who he really is. I'm still not sure who he is in the book, but he's not ordinary, not ordinary at all. He's like a wizard or something."

Emma took a deep breath. "Henry, I have something hard, a secret, to tell you, but I wanted you to know. I wanted you to hear it from me and not anybody else."

"Mom, if it's that you're going to have a baby, I've already figured that out."

"What?"

"You and Mr. Gold. You're going to have his baby," Henry said.

Emma was stunned. "Actually, Henry, I'm the only person who knows that right now. Mr. Gold doesn't even know."

"But it's true, right?"

Emma took another deep breath. "Yes, it's true. But that's a really big secret. I have to find the right time to tell Gold."

"Emma, you need to tell him pretty soon. I'm just a kid and if I figured it out. . . "

"Yeah, you're right." She shook her head. _But how did Henry know? How had he figured it out? _"But that's not the really big secret I needed to share with you."

"There's another?"

"You know I told you that your dad was a fireman who got killed doing his job," Emma began slowly.

"But you told me that to make me feel better, didn't you? My dad wasn't really a fireman, was he?"

"Henry, how are you figuring this out?" she asked without thinking.

"It just kinda comes to me, Emma. I just know things sometimes. It's different than with the book. I can look at it and think it through. But other things, well, sometimes I just know."

Emma wasn't sure how to respond. "OK Henry. You know that makes you alittle different from most people."

"Yeah, Dr. Hopper is always telling me that. But I've told him that Ashley Boyd would have girl and that happened and there's been a bunch of other stuff that happened too, so he says maybe I have a gift."

"Maybe." This was unnerving What was the word that Gold used? Oh yeah, intuitive. Maybe Henry was really, really really intuitive.

When Emma didn't say anything, Henry brought the conversation back around. "Emma, you were going to tell me about my dad. That he wasn't a fireman. That you made that up to make me feel better.

Emma pulled herself back together. "Yeah, you're right. I made that up to make you feel better. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you even if it was for a good reason."

"Are you going to tell me who my real dad is?" Henry asked.

"I'm going to try, but it's a complicated grown-up story and I'm not very proud of myself and what I did."

"Emma, do you want me to tell you what you are going to say?" Henry asked.

"What do you mean? Do you think you know, already?" This was so unfair to Henry.

"Yes. After spending the day with him, I began to wonder if Mr. Gold might not be my dad. Is he, Emma, is he my dad?" Henry was concerned but not hysterical.

"Henry, it's taken us awhile to put all the pieces together, but," she took yet another deep breath. "Yeah, Mr. Gold is your father."

Henry screwed up his face. "Emma, are you sure, really, really sure?"

"I'm really, really sure, Henry. And he kinda wants to part of your life, too."

Henry then asked her something unexpected, "Then can I talk with him? Just him and me?"

This was unexpected. "Uh sure," she answered, "Let me get him."

Gold had been watching over the front desk when Emma came to get him. "He wants to talk to you. I'll watch the counter for you."

Gold went into the back room and sat down, "Well?" he asked Henry.

"Emma tells me that you're my real dad."

"Yeah, we're 99.8% sure. We both did the cheek swab thing." Gold gestured at his mouth.

"Does this make me evil, too?" Henry asked.

"I hope not Henry. I hope you have enough of your mother in you that you can make good choices. Did she tell you that I'm going to try to get it so you can live with Emma and me?"

Henry brightened up. "No. I would like that, but I don't think my mom will let it happen."

"I have ways of handling your mother, Henry. I won't make you any promises, but things are looking hopeful, especially once Emma and I get married. I'm trying to get that to happen soon. Will you be alright with that?"

"I think so. I don't think you're going to hurt Emma, are you?," asked Henry.

"I don't intend to," answered Gold. "I like Emma very much. He smiled at Henry. "I like you too."

"I'm not sure how I feel about you," Henry said honestly. "Will you tell me who you really are?"

Gold looked at his son for a long moment. "That's for your mother to figure out, Henry."

+ + + + + _Bad Dream_

Emma was expecting the dream this time. She had tried to prepare herself. She wasn't going to just go in and take it. It was only a dream and she had some control.

She was in the cavern again. She approached the cage, half expecting the hand to reach out. She took a deep breath. She was trembling and sweating, but determined for things to be different. She addressed the creature inside the cage, "Who are you?"

"Someone you know, Princess Emma," came the answer.

"Do you want to hurt me?"

"No, Princess Emma. I want you to help me."

"Why should I help you?"

"You know me, Princess. You care about me. You want to help me."

"Can I see you?"

"Not yet. Not yet."

This time she woke up, nauseated but not terrified.

+ + + + + _The Pre-Nuptual_

Breakfast again. Emma had insisted on getting a copy of the pre-nup to read over before she signed it.

"Of course I want to read it over before I sign it! Why ever would you think I would sign a contract with you without reading it over line for line, word for word?"

"Ms. Swan, I assure you it is a standard contract. You will be well taken care of if we should separate. Custody has been addressed very fairly."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I have seen you foreclose on businesses that people put their entire lives into who were a day late with a loan payment and evict people from their homes who a dollar short for their rent. I have never known you to make a deal that didn't work in your favor. Why would I believe there is nothing in this contract that would not work against me?"

"Because you are going to be my wife and I accord that relationship with a measure of respect. I'm not out to cheat you or take advantage of you."

This time Emma just squinted at him. "Are you telling me that if the marriage falls apart you won't bear me any ill will? Like you aren't a grievance collector? You aren't somebody who would hold a grudge or lie in the tall grass waiting to take revenge?"

"You wound me, my dear. I'm telling you, this is a standard contract and a generous one, too."

"We'll see," she answered as she began looking it over.

He watched her read.

She heard him murmuring almost to himself. "You know, most people don't read contracts. They just go ahead and sign. They never look at the fine print. And they always seemed so surprised."

She looked up from her reading "You saying something?"

"Page two. That describes your allowance," he responded.

Emma read the amount, the numbers jumping out from the rest of the page. "That's per year?"

Gold delicately cleared his throat. "That's per month."

Emma nearly spewed the mouthful of coffee she had just drunk. "That's too much! I'm not marrying you for your money."

Gold spoke very quietly, "You don't know how much money I have. I assure you, this allowance would be no hardship."

Emma shook her head. "This is still too much. Make it half that amount, a quarter."

Gold had a sudden insight. "It makes you uncomfortable that people might think you are marrying me for my money? They couldn't possibly believe that you might have feelings for me."

"I know why I'm marrying you. It's not for your money. And it's not for any feelings, either. I know what I want to get out of the marriage. But you're right, I don't want people to think I'm marrying you for your money. That's why I'm uncomfortable with this."

"Deal with it, Ms. Swan. You are the mother of my child. If the marriage fails, I want you to never have to worry about money again. I want you to be comfortable."

Emma sighed and read on.

He directed her attention. "Page four. Custody. I think you'll find that very amicable."

Emma read that physical custody was split, fifty-fifty, but Gold would be picking up all the costs for school, college, clothing allowance, everything else that money would be needed. She couldn't see any catches here.

"Where are the penalty clauses?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like if I'm ten minutes late getting the children back, I will owe a thousand dollars, or lose the next visitation or both."

Gold's quick ears caught the term 'children,' but he kept his face neutral. "There are no penalty clauses, Ms. Swan. I assure you this is strictly above board. Why are you so suspicious?"

"Because I've seen you operate. I've been telling you all along I don't trust you. Somehow when I read something like this, that seems so straight forward, it makes me even more alarmed. What's the catch?"

Gold answered shortly. "Oh that's on page six. I will still retain rights to your bed whenever I want and, of course, I will still be requiring you to skin any children I kill."

Emma looked up at him sharply. "You're joking," but she couldn't stop herself from turning to page six. Page six was all about the steps for re-negotiation of any part of the agreement. It would have to go through a mutually approved third party.

"Keep this copy," he told her. He was smiling, laughing at her. "Read over it as many times as you need to. Have some of your friends read it over. I promise you it won't suddenly change once you've signed it and there won't be a completely different copy go into court records." He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the mouth before leaving money for the breakfast and going on to his shop.

A deal with Mr. Gold.

It all looked just fine. Why was she still uneasy about signing anything for him?

+ + + + + _A Simple Ceremony_

Gold had insisted she wear what he called her "wrinkly dress" for the ceremony.

"I have special memories of that dress," he confided to Emma.

Emma had blushed but agreed. She had run some quick errands and met him for breakfast. They went to the courthouse to obtain the license and finally went to the Mayor's office to wait for Regina. Gold had called earlier and made arrangements, insisting Regina be the one to conduct the official ceremony. Emma was doing some final looking over the paperwork.

"What is your first name, anyway?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It's long and complicated and years ago I just went to using the initial 'R' when I absolutely had to. It's legal."

Regina came sweeping in at that moment with Henry trailing. "I'm hearing that you two want to push up the wedding date. Just can't wait, I take it." She took the pre-nup and license paperwork and after a cursory glance announced. "Well these seem in order."

"We're waiting on our two witnesses," Emma shared. "Mary Margaret and David agreed to come."

Regina's eyes flicked briefly over to Gold's. "Interesting choices."

"Appropriate, don't you think?" he responded.

"Oh, absolutely."

Emma felt like she had missed something in this exchange, but at that moment, Mary Margaret came in, abit breathless. She hugged Emma and, shyly, said, "Congratulations" to Gold. While they were waiting for David, Regina was able to pull Emma over to the side. She knew that Gold was watching her closely.

"Emma, are you sure you know what you are doing? Gold is a deep character and does nothing without his own motives."

"I'm sure this is the right thing to do. I've got to know him pretty well," Emma replied.

It was a little later before David came in.

"Well, all the required parties are here. Let's begin," said Regina and proceeded with the ceremony.

As Emma repeated the common vows, love, honor, cherish, there was a part, deep down inside of her that was asking _What are you doing? It's worth it, right? Marrying the devil, but getting Henry back. _


	18. Honeymoon

_OK, this is my first real foray into smut so I'm a little nervous about posting. I tend to get the giggles when I write (or read) this type of thing, so I'm hoping this is not too, too, too, silly (definitely M Rating). It does give Gold a chance to do his Alpha male thing and continue his efforts to enthrall Emma. It doesn't do too much to move the story along except toward the ending. txm_

+ + + + + _Honeymoon - Day One_

Gold had reserved the Honeymoon Suite at the Inn for two days. He had made sure that Emma had someone backing up the sheriff's office and given strict instructions that they were not to be disturbed under any circumstance. He had closed his shop for two days. He had ordered a variety of meals and snacks and stipulated when they should be delivered outside of the door of the room. He did want any interruptions while he entertained and enjoyed his new bride.

Emma actually felt a little nervous. "Being married, it feels different," she shared.

"It is different. Sex is not only legal, it's expected," he replied. He sat himself down in one of the more comfortable chairs in the large suite and stretched out. He scrutinized his new bride very closely. "Do you realize how very, very beautiful you are?"

Emma blushed. "I don't think of myself that way," she admitted.

"Then I shall have to tell you every day just how beautiful you are." He abruptly stood up. "I believe I requested some champagne." He checked a small cart that had been left in the room with a variety of refreshments. He opened the bottle with a finesse that only experience can give and poured Emma and himself each a flute. "I have some things in mind for this evening that a small amount of alcohol may help."

"That sounds a little ominous," Emma remarked as she pretended to sip the fizzy liquid.

"It is. There are some things I feel comfortable asking my wife to do that I would hesitate to ask my mistress, or even a hired courtesan to do."

Emma resisted the urge to gulp the champagne, but just held onto the glass, thinking about the double lines she had seen the other morning. _No more alcohol for me._ Gold continued to sip his first glass and sat back down.

"My dear, I want to see all of your beauty. Take your clothes off for me."

"What?"

"Strip for me. Do it prettily," he directed.

Emma put down her champagne flute and she hesitantly removed the lightweight jacket that covered the dress. She set it on one of the other chairs. She reached around to unzip the dress and then began to pull it off her shoulders.

Gold cleared his throat and leaned forward in his chair. "Perhaps, Ms. Swan, you missed the point of this activity. It is not to remove your clothing as quickly as you can. It is to interest me with what you have generously revealed and intrigue me with what you have yet to divulge." He sat back in the chair. "I shall add some incentive. If I am not pleased there will a penalty to pay and," he added warmly, "if I am pleased, there shall be a reward."

Emma stood with her dress half off her shoulders. "Why do I feel that the penalty and the reward are likely the same thing?"

Gold smiled, "Because you are likely correct, my dear."

Nervously, Emma slowed her pace, leaving the dress half on, she lifted one leg up to the seat of the chair to unfasten the strap of one of her shoes before removing it, allowing the dress skirt to ride up a stocking-clad thigh, revealing red garters. She then pulled the dress skirt down and, twirling the shoe, leaned down. With the dress pulled down from her shoulders, this position exposed a good portion of her bosom. She set the shoe on the floor. Staying in the bent-down position, she then unfastened the strap and removed the second shoe.

She took a deep breathe. "I did buy some new lingerie for the wedding. Even though it was just going to be a courthouse affair, I wanted to feel 'special'." She smiled at him as she slowly slipped the dress off of her arms and had it rest on her hips revealing a lace and satin red bustier. She saw him shift, a little uncomfortably, in the chair. Then, very slowly, she began to pull the dress off her hips and down her legs, revealing the entire little red confection she had been wearing under her dress. Barely audible she heard him say, "Holy shit."

Gaining some confidence, Emma shared, "I thought, for now, that I would stick with my signature red underwear, since that's you've seen me in most often, that first time you had me, when we woke up together in this room and that time I jumped you right after I had moved in with you. It seemed appropriate." While she was talking, she ran her hands down her body, turned from one side to another, and once turned around, bent down and adjusted her stockings, running her hands up one leg, then the other. Facing him, she lifted her breasts and leaned forward slightly. "This was a little snug in the cup size and I feel like I'm going to uhm, pop out if I'm not careful." She slipped down one of the cups and very briefly revealed a swollen nipple. She covered herself up and stood upright.

She then began to unfasten the garters on one leg. First one, then the other and then slowly, raising her leg onto the chair, exposing a small red satin triangle covering the nexus between her legs. She rolled the stocking down her leg and then threw the ball of silk to Gold. He caught it one-handed and, unable to repress the impulse, raised it to his nose to inhale the vanilla fragrance.

She stopped a moment, running her hands over her body as if to ascertain that the bustier was indeed a snug fit, finally putting one hand inside one cup of the bra to reposition her breasts and lingering a moment to massage the soft sphere and stimulate the nipple, then applying the same treatment to the other breast. She said apologetically to Gold, "The fit is really tight on this. It seems to be causing some irritation." The nipples were now little peaks very visible, pressing up behind the satin fabric.

Watching him under her lashes, she saw that his eyes were almost completely darkened, fully dilated black pupils dominating his dark brown eyes. This might actually be fun.

She attended to the second stocking, taking an exquisite amount of time with each garter and then slowly rolling the stocking down her leg, this time turning her backside to Gold as she leaned over, treating him to a delicious view of her well-shaped rear.

She then turned to him and contritely shared, "I have a small problem with this bustier." She sighed deeply. "This," she gestured to the bustier, "required another person to help me get into it. It is actually a corset and has ties in the back." She continued, "Mary Margaret helped me earlier this morning, but I don't think we want to bother her right now, do we?" She took a couple of steps over to him. "What do you think we should do?" she asked plaintively.

Gold was smiling at her. "Why don't you remove the panties and come here." He suggested.

Very slowly, she complied, removing the barely-there red satin and lace thong and, finally, coming and standing in front of him, standing between his legs.

"Kneel," he ordered.

She complied and was now at just above face level to his crotch.

He reached down and adjusted the bustier, gently lifting each breast out of the straining, too small cups, and allowing them to rest, supported on the underwires of the corset top. The nipples, already swollen, were an invitation to a quick caress and firm pinching.

"I think," Gold said slowly, "that we'll leave on the corset for the moment. Enjoy the feel of fabric on your back for the time being, because, soon enough, I intend for you be completely bereft of clothing. And I plan to keep you that way for the next two days."

Emma was having difficulties restraining herself from going after the zipper in his pants. Given the bulge in his pants, here was no question that he was sincerely aroused. She had her hands on his knees and was running them up his thighs.

He caught and stilled her hands. "You think you've been a good enough girl for a treat?" he asked her.

"Yes, please," the cinnamon smell washing over her and inviting her in. Releasing her hands, he allowed her to unzip his pants, retrieve his swollen penis and begin, as she always did, with licking and kissing before wrapping her mouth around the head and shaft and doing her best to provide him with the delectable combination of pressure, suction and friction that he seemed to prefer. He had his hands in her hair controlling her movements to some extent and holding her still when he was no longer able to resist the sensual demands, releasing himself down into her throat.

He pulled her over to the bed afterwards, divesting himself of his own clothes and, as they both rested from their initial efforts, he offered her some ice water. Never one to miss anything, he had noted that she had passed up the champagne earlier but had not pressed the issue.

"It's important to stay hydrated," he observed.

"That may be a more important issue for you, my dear," Emma remarked. "I'm planning on draining you of bodily fluids over the next two days.

"Excellent," he approved and drank a glass of water himself. "Now let's turn you over and see about this corset."

Emma rolled over onto her stomach and this position provided him a view of Emma's firm, well-shaped ass. This was an invitation he could not refuse. He raised her up onto her knees and positioned himself behind her, sliding into her while she braced herself with her arms against the headboard. This position allowed him to reach around her, play with her unconfined breasts and, more delightfully, access her clit which he could massage and caress. Soon enough, she began to tremble under his gentle administrations. There was a soft cry and he could feel her begin to spasm and pulse. He did not waiver in his attentions and was quickly rewarded with a second wave of tremors and soon after she was gasping and barely able to continue to support herself. He heard her cry out as she reached a third peak and then he allowed himself his own relief.

Emma had collapsed with him on top of her, with him still inside of her. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled her to her side, to hold her against him. She suddenly realized that he hadn't used any protection. Son of a bitch.

"Gold, you didn't use protection," she protested.

"No, dear, it's much better this way."

"But we aren't trying to make a baby."

"We're not?" he seemed genuinely surprised.

Confined as she was, she was not able to shift to face him. "No. We need to talk."

She could feel his breathe on her neck as he answered. "Ms. Swan. I've had two wedding nights in my life and they were quite different. My first time I was entirely inexperienced. This time, I have a very good idea of what I'm trying to do. On neither occasion was talking with my bride very high on my priorities."

"But we can't be trying to make a baby," she continued to protest. _Yes, she knew it was actually too late, but there was a principle involved here._

He began kissing her neck. "My dear, we'll talk about this later. Right now I'm trying to make your eyes roll back in your head and make you pass out." He pulled out of her, turned her onto her back and began kissing her, deeply, thoroughly, holding her down while he laid his body against hers. She forgot what she was pissed about; she knew it was important but couldn't quite remember.

+ + + + + _Early Early Morning_

It was well into the early morning hours, the corset had long since been removed. He awakened her, turning her onto her back, spreading her legs, raising her ankles and placing them on his shoulders. Without preliminaries he pressed into her. She protested, two-thirds asleep, "I'm not ready," but he ignored her and forced his entry, trapping her hands when she tried to push him away. He then began to pummel, hard and fast, into her, stopping just as she approached release. Then he would began again, repeating this, again and again and again, for what seemed like an eternity, with Emma finally begging, pleading, imploring him to let her finish. "Not yet, not yet," he had commanded. "Not until I give you permission."

Emma was trying to free her hands, to push him away, to cling to him, she wasn't sure. "Please, please, please," she could hear herself begging him. He stopped moving in her.

"Stay still," he ordered, forcing her to relax, to cool down.

Then he began again.

It didn't take much stimulation, before Emma was close to screaming with frustration, her whole body primed and ready for climaxing. After more begging and pleading on her part, Gold finally relented, whispered his permission and allowed her release. She blacked out with the force of her response, her entire body convulsing and spasming with the power of the orgasm.

When she regained consciousness he was leaning over her.

"Are you all right?" he was concerned.

"Yeah," she felt disoriented. "I just blacked out. That was pretty intense. I've never experienced anything like that before."

"It's been awhile since I've made a woman pass out. . . well using sex anyway."

"How do you do this?" she was still gasping. "I mean, you aren't a young man, but you've got the stamina and. . . ." she searched for a word, "vitality of a twenty year old. Is this Viagra induced? I don't want you stroking out on me."

"No drugs, just you," he answered. _Apparently talking with the groom was high on her priorities. Well, he had accomplished one of his goals for her so he could afford to be generous_

"Seriously. I know I don't have a lot of experience, but I don't think that most men can go from one erection to the other like you've been doing or last as long as you have a couple of times there. You have a secret?

He considered. He was lying on his back next to her. It was very early in the morning and she was mostly half asleep. "Well, maybe now is the time to share that I'm not exactly human and my, what did you call it? stamina and vitality comes from my magic."

"Is that right?" Emma had rolled onto her stomach, propped herself on her arms while she listened to him. "When you say you're not exactly human, what does that mean?"

"Well, a long time ago, I used to be, but I acquired a magical dagger that gave me essentially unlimited powers, except the usual – I can't raise the dead and I can't make people fall in love. But just about anything else you can imagine, I can do. But it also altered my appearance, my skin changed color, my features altered and my hands were notably changed. The creature in your dreams, that hand reaching for you, Ms. Swan. It's me."

"Uh huh. Are you like a servant of evil?" Emma asked.

"Not a servant," he replied and for a moment, Emma pulled back when she saw his eyes glint, reflecting something decidedly unearthly. Was that from moonlight?

"Ms. Swan," he pulled her close to him. "Much of what is said about me is quite true. I'm not a nice person. I have done, I will likely do, many objectionable things."

"So Henry is right, you're evil."

"I'm my own master and answer to no one except myself. I don't know that that makes me evil. People want things from me, because of my powers. But they don't understand. Magic always comes with a price, always. They never want to pay."

"So you would take babies from people as payment?" Emma asked remembering young Ashley Boyd.

"Oh babies are very useful commodities. People will trade you half a kingdom for the right baby. Always a market for an infant," he explained.

"Ok," Emma said. "I'm getting a little creeped out. You're making it sound like I've married some monster, that you're human in this world, but, if Henry's right and you're truthful and I break the curse, you will turn back into a. . . ." she couldn't think of a word.

"Regina always called me a goblin when she was put out with me. That will probably suffice."

"And will our baby be half-goblin?" Emma asked.

Gold pulled her down and kissed her. "I was wondering when you would get around to telling me about her. You certainly took long enough."

"You knew, good grief, you know everything!" Emma wasn't surprised. "Did you know the night you first proposed?"

Gold answered slowly, "I've suspected from the very beginning. Then you began having some mood swings, most out of character for you, my dear, and the morning sickness. Pretty big clue there. Also you've had some little changes in your body, nothing that someone who hadn't spent many long hours going over every inch of you wouldn't notice." He then kissed her again. "You know I'm very happy about the baby and if you hadn't been pregnant I was hoping you would be after tonight."

"Yeah, I noticed that. You know that was wrong of you to just decide that kind of thing without talking to me first. You can't be making decisions that affect both of us without talking to me about them."

"Oh sure, I'll talk to you about these things from now on," he said.

"Now that was too easy. Why do I get the feeling you are just saying what you think I want to hear?"

"Probably because I am. Ms. Swan, you once accused me of being like someone who lived centuries ago, being a lord of the manor. You're exactly right. I'm not a man of the twenty-first century. I know you'll be offended, but I can't help but think of you as property, valuable, precious property, but something I take care of. And, I'm not used to consulting with anyone before I make a decision, any decision.

"You are going to be difficult, then." She had known he was autocratic. What else had she called him? arrogant, insufferable, jerk. "But you knew I would object. Was that why you wanted to get me all liquored up?"

"Yes, but I also noticed you passed up the champagne. Another clue about the baby."

Emma lay still a moment. "You said 'her.' You must think the baby's a girl. Will she be half-goblin?"

Gold smiled, "I don't know. If she is born in this world she will be like Henry or, if you break the curse, and if she is born or goes into Fairyland, she will likely have some characteristics of me, her father. In either world, she will be considered a great beauty – I have already seen that."

Emma yawned. "I am afraid I won't remember any of this in the morning."

"Probably not," agreed Gold. "That's why I'm telling you so much now."

He allowed her to go back to sleep. He made some preparations for the morning; he was anticipating some reluctance from her for what he had in mind.


	19. Penalty

Had abit of a computer bug and almost lost about 10,000 words (augh!). My in-house technical support came through (yay!) and all turned out just fine.

Thanks for all my great reviews. You folks are the best. And Gemma fans do yourself a favor and check out a story that doesn't seem to be getting much attention (The Failed Test by notsureyet18). Myself, SlytherinWolf & NarnianPhantomStallion have been the only reviewers. It's coming from a first time author and has a unique take on the couple that I've not seen anywhere else. The story is picking up speed. Thx txm

+ + + + + _Penalty_

Emma woke, nauseated but feeling deliciously satiated with only the vaguest memories of some nonsensical garbage about magic, about her new husband actually being the monster of she was seeing in her dreams, and him having near limitless powers and producing half-goblin children with her. Gold was already up and was gently massaging her shoulders.

"I take it that there was no bad dream this morning?" he asked. He was there with a bucket for her to pursue her usual morning episode of vomiting.

"No, no dreams." She retched into a bucket, "When will this be over?" she complained.

"I'm so sorry."

Emma glared at him, "It is kinda your fault."

Gold nodded in agreement. "I would guess you've got a couple more weeks. I've got the hot tub cranked up. I thought we might could use a soak this morning," he encouraged her to get up, and with assistance (because she was moving with some mild difficulties) got her over and into the warm, bubbly deep water. He had set out breakfast for them and laid it on the side of the tub.

He toasted her with a mimosa but handed her a gingerale, "Here's hoping your wedding night was satisfactory."

"You must know it was," she said shyly. "That was the most incredible sex I've ever had."

He smiled at her and said softly, "Me, too," making Emma blush.

He had scrambled eggs, bacon and toast on hand, having had extensive experience with Emma's early morning appetites and generously doled this out for her. He also fed her strawberries dipped in sweetened yogurt and a chocolate croissant. She sat in the swirling tub, leaned up against him, feeling her body relax.

"You're getting pruney," he announced and guided her out of the tub and back onto the bed. He put her on her back and used a soft towel to dry her and himself all over. He continued rubbing his hands over her body, her legs, her arms, her stomach, her lovely breasts, often following up with gentle kissing and the occasional nibble. She laid back with her eyes closed and enjoyed his attentions, but when he began to focus his attentions on her stomach, working his way down, she stopped him.

"This isn't necessary. You don't have to. . . "

He stopped and looked closely at her. "This makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?" He shook his head. "Have you just been with men who are lazy, selfish, clumsy, or just inexperienced?"

"It doesn't matter," she was moving away from him. "You don't have to do this."

He saw her move away and said, "Oh Ms. Swan, you have just displeased me and there will now have to be a penalty." He moved swiftly, previous experience with her having alerted him to her reluctance for this particular activity, but he now had a plan to deal with it. Using her own cuffs, he pulled her hands together and fastened them to the headboard above the bed.

"I think it's fair that you give me some time in handcuffs after putting me in them for the French affair," he said overcoming her struggles easily.

"Oh no, please," she begged and tried to kick him away. He continued to move swiftly, catching one leg and, using one of his very expensive silk ties, tying first one ankle to a bedpost and then, with another tie, the other ankle was pulled to the opposite bedpost, leaving her spread-eagle, very vulnerable, on the bed. She was at his absolute mercy. . . and she realized that he had none.

"Now, my sweet, you can complain, bitch and whine all you want, but your body. . . " and he deliberately put his hand between her legs and very slowly inserted a finger into her depths, then drew it out. She closed her eyes knowing it was drenched with her moisture, incontrovertibly indicating that she was ready, ready, more than ready.

"Open your eyes," he commanded, and reluctantly she complied, only to close them again when he licked and sucked on his finger, the intimacy of the act overwhelming her. "Oh, my darling, do you not know that you taste like a fine wine, just like you should. You have a merest hint of vanilla to your scent and I can't get enough of it." He settled in between her legs. "I'm going to see if you prefer hard or soft, fast or slow, gentle or rough, steady or changing. I'm going to see what you like."

She refused to open her eyes and tried to turn away from him, but was limited by the cuffs and ties. She was not able to offer any resistance and in a short time was mortified to find she was lifting her body as she could to afford him better access. He did not tease her, but allowed her release each and every time as he was able to bring her along, but he also kept continuing, pressuring, persisting with her, not allowing her any respite. She often would go from one peak directly to another. After nearly an hour of unrepentant, unmerciful, continuous attention, she was exhausted, her body flushed and her breathing ragged.

He pulled himself up along her body, and easily fit into her, taking only a few moments to find his own release. He held her quietly, pressing her down with his weight, but did not untie or unfasten her. He murmured into her ear, "My dear it would appear you like it hard, slow, steady and a little rough and you have absolutely no resistance to me. I like that. I like knowing what I can do to you. I like knowing I can do this to you anytime I want, anytime you want."

Exhausted, Emma dropped off to sleep.

+ + + + + _Dream_

"It seems I'm back," she announced. "What do you want me to do?"

"Open the cage."

"Why should I? How do I know that you don't deserve to be in that cage?"

"Ah, Princess Emma, don't you recognize me? Don't you know who I am?"

"I've been told who you are, but I don't know. I've only seen your hand. Come into the light."

"Are you sure? Princess Emma, are you sure? Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

She held her breath as slowly the creature came into the light. Not quite a monster, but not human, either. Frightening, but not terrifying. She heard him murmur, "Brave Emma." He then smiled at her and, with a flourish, actually bowed. "At your service, well, as much as I can be, with my magic bound and stuck in this cage."

"And you want me to let you out?"

"Of course. Princess Emma, you aren't willing to recognize me?"

"You're going to tell me who you are?"

He shook his head. "You need to figure it out."

She slowly approached the cage. There was the subtle smell of cinnamon.

"Gold? Is that you?" she asked.

_Will post more soon. txm_


	20. Dreams

+ + + + + _A Demonstration_

He knew she had had another dream. He had not bothered to untie or unclasp her.

"I had another dream," she confessed. "I met the creature in the cage."

"And?"

"It was you. You were changed, but it was you. You were this magical creature. That stuff you told me last night. It was all true."

"Did I frighten you?"

"Yes, But I kept thinking that you're my husband, the father of my children and, I think, I wanted to help you. And I didn't know what to do."

He smiled and said, "I hope you are going to decide to get me out of that damn cage."

She shook her head, "I don't know."

"Please, promise me, next time, you'll do at least that. It's bloody terrible in there. . . cold, damp, dark. If it wasn't for a steady stream of visitors, it would be intolerable." He kissed her lightly. "Oh, and there's a red feather I'll want you to bring with you when you come for me again. Look for that next time you have the dream. If I can get it, I can break the little binding spell they put on me." He raised his hand and snapped a finger.

Emma pulled a face. "These are just dreams. You don't help when you talk like they're real."

He sat by her and trailed his fingers down her neck to her breasts, which he began to circle with his finger. "You still don't think it's real? That this world and the dream world are not both real."

"I hope not. That would mean I married a monster. "

"Well, I thought you believed I was the devil. Now I'm just a monster." He shrugged, "I really am more human now than I was . . . before. And I'm the same person in either world that you've been with for awhile now, regardless of what I look like." He continued to tease her nipples into hard peaks. "And, I'll say it again, I am not going to hurt you. I prefer to give you orgasms." He sat quietly a moment. "Here, I have an idea. This might help you believe in magic." He pulled his hand back and simply sat by her on the bed. He didn't touch her; hejust sat by her.

Emma wasn't quite sure what he was doing, if he was even doing something, but she began to feel some familiar sensations in the lower part of her body as if he was caressing her. _But he wasn't touching her. _She could feel muscles tightening and tingling in her very core. The sensations increased and persisted.

"What. . .what.. .? Are you doing this?"

He just smiled and sat still.

"How. . .how?" but she was overwhelmed by her body's response to whatever was happening.

The orgasm came quickly and powerfully. She closed her eyes and gave into the experience.

She heard him whisper. "You liked that? I can do that to you any time, any place. Do you find that exciting?"

She was gasping. "How . . .how?"

"Magic, my dear. Magic. Have you not been listening? Ms. Swan, I'm a magical creature. These things are real. Your dreams are real. Henry's theory is real. Regina is an evil queen who has cursed everyone in Storybrooke. You are the savior. You are the one to break the curse."

He then took her once more, abruptly, as if he were angry with her. Tied as she was, she was unable to resist him and, despite his rough handling, she found herself helplessly responding to his attentions. He kissed her mercilessly, swallowing her cry as she came the first time and then driving her on to a more intense response.

Weakened from his love-making, she was limp as he untied her and opened the handcuffs. He helped her sit up.

"We're going to get on well, aren't we, Ms. Swan? You are beginning to believe me about the magic, aren't you? Are you going to be able to handle knowing what you now know, about what I am, about what I can do."

Emma struggled with clearing her thoughts and shook her head. "This is not like finding out someone you've been with can fly a plane. This is like finding out the one you've been with hunts children and uses their skins to make clothes and lampshades."

He murmured back, "I haven't done that type of thing in awhile."

At her look of horror, he quickly responded. "That's a joke. Why do all the important women in my life think it's true?"

Emma sat a moment, breathing deeply. This was overwhelming. She sat quietly. Gold waited. _Was everything Henry had been telling her right? She could easily believe that Regina was evil. But was she responsible for what had happened to Mary Margaret, to David, to Ruby, to everyone here? Could she trust Gold, what he was saying? _

He hugged her and got up from the bed. _Emma was definitely demonstrating more talents. And she was beginning to believe._

+ + + + _Dream_

"Are you going to let me out this time?" the creature sounds a bit petulant.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "And I didn't find any red feather. I don't know where to look. When I come here, I'm already in the cavern. There is no feather."

"Keep working on it," he directed her. "It's really important."

Emma hung back, hesitant to approach the creature any more closely.

"Come closer, Princess," he ordered.

She continued to hang back.

"If you're just going to stand there, nothing is going to happen," he said peevishly. "I need you to open the door of the cage."

"What will happen then?"

"You will have released the most powerful man in the kingdom." He lowered his voice. "And then, my sweet, you and I can go anywhere you want. Do anything you want. You will have my gratitude, my thanks, my favor. And I can be very generous."

"But someone put you here for a reason. What if I'm doing a terrible thing letting you out?"

"I was put here because they didn't want to pay. They wanted to use magic, but not pay the cost. That's it. Emma. That's it. I'm the same man you know in Storybrooke."

"You know about Storybrooke?"

"Of course I know. Emma, you are my wife. The mother of my son. You carry our daughter. Emma, we just spent a night of incredible passion together and in the morning I propelled you to an intense orgasm without touching you, using magic. You are finally beginning to believe." He leaned forward to the cage bars. "Emma, let me out."

Hesitantly, she moved toward the door of the cage. There was no lock, no bar. It was just closed. She realized that the Goblin was simply unable to open it. Someone else had to. She reached toward the door.

+ + + + + _Aftermath_

It was the next morning. Emma now lay in Gold's bed in Gold's house. Next to the engagement ring he had given her weeks ago there was now a simple platinum wedding band. She would soon be dressed in clothes he had paid for, would shortly be eating food he had paid for, and going into a job he had cleverly manipulated a town into giving her. She was carrying his child, a daughter if he was to be believed. Her first child, one she had thought she had given up forever, was almost back in her life and he was, now she knew, also _his _child. They were about to go together to see a judge to try to regain her oldest child. How had her life become so intertwined with his?

It wasn't just sex, although that had become a big part of things. She sometimes felt in thrall to the man; he could just look at her and she was willing to do whatever he might ask of her. But there was something else undefinable. He had kept telling her his bizarre story about magic, that he was a dark, powerful creature from Fairyland whose appearance would change when she broke the curse, that he would turn into a monster, no not a monster, what was it? a goblin and a very, very powerful one. But he needed her help to rescue him from a prison. She had seen him and repeatedly dreamed of standing by his prison. She remembered reaching for the door to open it and release him. But she had not opened the door.

What if it were true? What if Henry was right about the Fairytale Land and all the people with duel lives. She shook herself. She was beginning to believe it.

But right now, for the time being, she would continue to just enjoy what she had. A husband who, at least, appeared to adore her, the very real possibility that she would regain a lost child, a healthy pregnancy, and access to more money than she had ever dreamed possible.

Gold had been up, reading quietly and watching his wife sleep. When he heard her stirring, he looked up. "Ms. Swan, are you all right?"

"Other than the morning ick," she vomited in a bucket as per usual, accepting the saltines, the gingerale and the cool wet washcloth he proffered her.

"Why do you continue to call me 'Ms. Swan'?" she asked between retches. "You've only called me 'Emma' when you were proposing and, a few times, you've called me 'Princess'."

"Would you prefer 'Emma' or 'Princess' or 'Ms. Gold' or 'Ms. Swan'?"

"Emma would be just fine. After all, we have been as close as two people can be. I think a first name will do."

He agreed. "Emma, it is then. What a lovely name."

"And where does 'Princess' come from anyway?"

"You _are_ a princess, my dear."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh right, Prince Charming and the Princess Snow White are my parents. Yeah."

"You don't believe it yet, do you?" he said it more as a statement.

"Not yet. No." she admitted, then had a sudden thought "Who are you in Fairyland?"

"I'm the goblin, the monster."

"That's not your name." She shook her head, "You know, I would have been willing to marry the devil to get Henry back."

Gold smiled. "I'm sure that there is no lack of people who are telling you that you did just that."

She nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but you're telling me you're not the devil, that you are a goblin. And now I'm going to help you escape from a prison."

"I certainly hope so," he responded. "You were close to doing that in your last dream."

"You know about that? I just had that dream. How could you possibly know?"

"Magic, dear," he responded.

"I'm not letting you out. I still don't like you and I still don't trust you." She sat up. "I certainly don't love you, but I am happy and content for this moment. Is that all right?

"That, Emma, is just perfect. "

"I understand what I'm getting out of this marriage. But what are you getting?"

"You, for one thing," he replied. "Beautiful, energetic, responsive. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself with you."

"Just me?"

"No, I'm getting myself two children. I happen to like children. What is it the ogres used to say, 'They're not just for breakfast anymore'," Emma looked puzzled. "That's a joke." _Again, why did the important women in his life not get his jokes? _He continued. "Children make us a family." _And through you, Ms. Swan,_ _I am now joined to the most powerful family in Fairyland. I will have the right to sit at their court when I am so amused. A seat at their table when I want it. A place by their side when I'm so inclined – that should be quite fun. My son will eventually inherit their kingdom, putting me in a position of even greater power. They won't like it, but they will accept it, hell they might even come to accept me. And, if not, I can still have fun with my very beautiful, magical wife and with their silly, self-important lives. And my wife may be able to break the curse, not petty Regina's boring curse, but my own. I want love __and __power and Emma can give these to me. That's what I'm getting from this from this marriage. _

He smiled.

_Author's note: Next comes the hearing to regain custody of Henry and the search for the red feather that was used in binding Rumple's powers (that can be used to help him regain his lost powers). _


	21. The Dress Fit Well

The dress fit well. Gold had actually insisted on accompanying her to one of the posh little dress shops where he was seated comfortably and treated like royalty ("More tea, Mr. Gold? Would you like some wine, sir?"). Meanwhile she had been hustled into a back room and given this garment and that dress to put on. She had felt like some prize doll being dressed up for his entertainment. He had requested something simple, sophisticated, expensive-looking. And they had gotten what he had asked for.

Privately Gold had made some caustic comments on her clothing style and insisted that, as his wife, she had a certain standard to maintain. Her jeans, t-shirt and leather jackets would do fine when she was on the job as sheriff, but not when she appearing before a judge suing for the custody of her child. Not when she was appearing as "his wife."

Emma would have been pissed but she had to admit she looked pretty good, not like herself, mind you, but pretty good in the clothes he had picked out for her. Gold had surprised her with his knowledge of fabrics and such and seemed to have a genuine eye for quality. Emma was happy she still able to get into her regular size, but anticipated that in a couple of weeks she would need to be finding some expanding pants (and probably have to repeat the dress buying ordeal).

"Do we know what stops Regina is planning to pull out?" she had asked him, ever increasingly concerned as the appointment with the judge approached.

He considered. "Several things are possible. She will likely want to imply that you were a prostitute and I was your customer. And she will certainly bring up our various criminal histories."

Emma was a bit alarmed. "This doesn't sound good. I mean for everything we think she's done, she looks clean. A fine upstanding member of the community. We look pretty bad when you spell it out."

"We will emphasize a history of youthful indiscretion in your case and emphasize how well you have managed to turn out, now being our high sheriff and all. And, in my case, the judge knows that I can be a man of strong passions but I am also someone who will strive to set things aright when I'm confronted with the consequences of my actions."

"It sounds so reasonable when you say it, but I'm betting that she's is going to have something she just made up. How will we defend against something that's not true, that we can't anticipate?"

Gold looked at Emma closely. "You aren't actually afraid of Regina, are you?"

She gulped and nodded. "Yeah, kinda," she admitted.

He turned her to face him and took her hands into his. "Where is my brave Emma? The one who cut down part of Regina's favorite apple tree? The one who ran for sheriff and stood up to the most dangerous man in town? The one who arrested the most dangerous man in town?"

She shrugged. "Pregnancy nerves?"

He grimaced. "If I had suggested this was due to the baby, you would have smacked me. You're stronger than that." He smiled at her. "We are going to go in there and take her down. We are the biological parents. We are a happily married couple. Henry wants to live with us. We are even willing to compromise and continue, at least for awhile, with shared custody."

"But what if it's not enough?"

It was Gold's turn to shrug. "I think that Regina will only push so far, so hard. e cgold You know how I've said that people in town are afraid of her, but more people are afraid of me?"

She nodded.

"Regina is one of the people who is afraid of me," he gave her a tight smile. "And I think she knows quite well that she has every reason to be afraid of me."

Regina was remarkably subdued. She did bring out their criminal histories, which the judge waived off successively as Gold had predicted, youthful indiscretion and strong passions but with a conscience. Regina glowered but recovered and then asked point blank how Gold and Emma had met.

They had not been sworn in and it bothered Emma' sense of right and wrong listening to Gold's smooth story replete with lies of omission. They had met in a chance encounter, hit it off and one thing had led to another. Prostitution? Well, Gold had lowered his voice conspiratorially to the judge, Ms. Swan had been a virgin at this encounter, hardly what you would expect to find in a prostitute. _Regina rolled her eyes. _Gold had known about the child and been content to allow Ms. Mills to raise the child, but once the exquisite Ms. Swan had come back into his life, they had been able to renew and grow a new relationshiptogether and, together, they had elected to pursue custody of his lost child. He then alluded gently to Henry's current fragile mental state and involvement in therapy, suggesting, without actually saying, that perhaps Regina's parenting skills had contributed to the child's emotional problems.

Regina could not contain herself. "I believe that this marriage is a farce these two have cooked up. Ms. Swan. . . "

Gold interrupted, "Mrs. Gold."

Regina glared once at him. ", then, has made some type of bargain with Mr. Gold so that he will help her take back the child she gave up, legally and with awareness, for adoption. They have concocted this sham marriage to bring some measure of legitimacy to their claim, but I'm betting if they get custody, they will soon go their separate ways." She sounded shrill next to Gold's smooth delivery.

He sighed. "One never knows how a marriage will work out, your honor. But Mrs. Gold is currently in a . . .delicate state and we certainly don't anticipate any quick dissolving of our marriage." He reached for Emma's hand and she smiled graciously at him.

"What? Shit!" Regina had not been expecting this. "You got her knocked up this soon? That's disgusting."

"Mayor Mills," interrupted the judge. "You will watch your language in my chambers. And it sounds like the Gold's are quite happy with the impending birth."

Emma smiled at the judge, "We are, your honor. This was unexpected but not unwelcome." She felt Gold squeeze her hand.

"Your honor," Gold continued. "We are not unsympathetic to Ms. Mill's position. This was the woman who changed every diaper, wiped every tear, soothed every fever. We are not interested in taking the child away from her. But we want to share time with him. We recognize that we need to allow Henry some time and at some point we will need to give him a choice. Will he want one family or two? He's a bright, sensitive child. We want what is best for him. We would be fine if you talk with his therapist and consider this additional information."

Gold and Regina both sat quietly, their arguments completed.

The judge considered. "These cases are always so difficult. I always hope that either the adoptive parents or the biological parents turn out to be monsters, but they rarely are. I do want to talk with Dr. Hopper and I will render a decision a week from today."

Gold was all affable and smiling as they left. Emma saw him stop Regina and briefly talk with her.

"What was that about?" Emma asked him as soon as they were out of the judge's chambers and through the courthouse.

"Just asking Madame Mayor if she was having any rat problems," he said quietly.

"Rat problems?" Emma was puzzled.

"Just a little something she has had going one for awhile," he explained.

He debated, but opted not to tell Emma that there had been a very large, very anonymous donation made to the judge's favorite charity, the local convent. He was quite sure this would get back to the judge, with all the details of his involvement, and likely do so in quick order, given the gossipy nature of the sisters. Maybe the little interfering busybodies would finally have some value to him after all.

He knew he was not going to tell her that he had put a very gentle glamour over the judge, very light, very understated, so that Regina would be seen in the worst light and he and Emma in the best; he was sure that Regina had not suspected nor detected anything of that type from him. It was a difficult spell to manage, given the restraints he worked under and given the subtly of the spell – and not Regina's style whatsoever. It would cost him – pain in his leg, less energy to expend on his new wife. But hell, the pain he could live with and, he glanced at Emma, as much as he had been pounding her, she could probably use the rest.

"I think this went as well as we could expect it to," he said to Emma, taking her on to the Diner for a midmorning watched her pack down a glass of milk and a piece of pie.

"I don't know," she said between bites. "Do you think he bought it?

"Well, it was pretty much the truth. Maybe not everything, but what was shared was mostly true. You did an excellent job as the shy, but proud mother-to-be, by the way."

"Thank you, sir. I see why you are so successfully in making deals. You sounded so reasonable and so sincere. You are really, really scary sometimes."

"Thank you, my dear. Years of practice." He watched her finish up the pie. "Just out of curiosity, are you planning on wearing that dress on the job?"

She smiled at him and shook her head. "No wear to pin the badge. I'll be changing back at the office." She stood and leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before leaving out for the sheriff station.

Next Chapter (soon): Regina pays Emma a visit; Emma reconsiders, Gold has the last word txm


	22. Truth

_This may be getting into AU land, but I'm within 10,000 or so words of putting this puppy to bed, so I'm not backing off. _

+ + + + + _A Visit_

It was later that afternoon. Emma had never seen Regina looking quite so disheveled. It looked like she had gone home after the hearing and had a good cry. The outfit that had been pristine earlier that morning looked wrinkled, like she had laid down in it for awhile. Her hair needed combing. Her lipstick had faded.

She sat down in Emma's office.

After a moment, Emma said, "Mayor Mills?"

"You know he's doing this to get back at me?" she burst out. "And you can't tell him I was here. He'll go ballistic if he knows I came to see you. Promise me you won't tell him."

Emma shook her head, "It's a little early in my marriage to start keeping secrets from my husband. . ." she started to say.

"Cut the crap. Your marriage is a joke. He just married you to help you get Henry back from me as a way to hurt me." She leaned forward into Emma's face. "Honest to God, are you really pregnant? How could you let him do that to you?"

"Well, I kinda helped," confessed Emma. _Actually, this happened when you drugged us both._

Regina sat back in her chair. "Emma, I know it didn't go well for me this morning. I'm also betting that Gold has some scheme going on that will get back to the judge and impress him about Gold's fine, sterling character. That would be just like him. Emma, how can you take my son from me?" she had just the suggestion of tears in her eyes. "I've taken care of that child. Given him everything I could. Loved him. And you want to take him away."

"I just want to have some contact, regular contact with him, Regina. He doesn't seem happy with you."

"You think he'll be happy with Gold? The child's afraid of him. He's terrified of him."

"He's learning to get along with Gold. Maybe even like him."

"He should be afraid of him. Emma, you should be afraid of him. He's not what he seems."

Emma thought back over her dreams and the creature in the cage who kept telling her he was Gold. "He says you are not what you seem either."

"Does he? Well, probably not. We have quite a long history together. Not an altogether pleasant one either." Regina hesitated. "I know I told you he seduced me when I was just sixteen. We had an on again off again affair that lasted for several years." She rubbed her eyes as if to wipe away tears. "I doubt he ever told you that we had a daughter together."

Emma was surprised, "No, he shared that you two had been intimate but nothing more."

"The child died soon after birth. He always held me responsible for her death and things were never the same between us after that. I was surprised when he agreed to help me adopt. I thought maybe things had changed, had healed between us. I didn't know that Henry was his child and he was going to come back and reclaim him after giving me just enough time to love the child. It's like this is another one of his plans, something that took years to complete." Emma caught a tear on Regina's face which was quickly wiped away.

"Emma, I don't want to lose Henry. If we have to do it, I could live with shared custody, but not losing custody. Can you understand how I feel? Can you help me?"

Emma _felt_ that Regina was telling her the truth. The woman genuinely cared about Henry. Was this one of Gold's plans? Was it part of design to hurt, even punish, Regina for something that had happened long ago? He had said the whole thing was just a happenstance. But Emma knew she couldn't trust him.

She hesitated, "I don't know how the judge will rule, Regina."

"The judge will agree to anything that Gold suggests. I've seen this with Gold before. It's like he puts people under a spell and they give him whatever he asks for. Emma, the man convinced you to marry him. Are you going to tell me you fell madly in love with him? No, he offered you something. What was it? Henry? I doubt you would have married him for his money."

This was not comfortable. Emma shifted in her chair.

"I would be all right with shared custody," Emma finally said, electing to not respond to Regina's rant.

"So he did offer you Henry. I'm guessing that is the one thing that would make you get into his bed."

Emma ignored her and repeated herself. "I would be all right with shared custody, at least to start with."

Regina sat quietly, recognizing that Emma was not going to be forthcoming with any other comments. "Emma, I'm sorry if I'm struggling with your marriage to Gold. I've been with the man and can't imagine marriage to him. I've known him much longer than you have and," she shuddered, "I've seen him angry. I've been the one he's been angry with. I guess you haven't seen that side of him." She stood up. "Listen, anything you can do toward shared custody would be remembered and appreciated." She started out the door. "And if he ever gets angry with you, remember you can come to me."

+ + + + + _Reconsideration_

"Lovely supper you've put together, Emma," Gold was complimentary. Her attempts at domesticity amused him, but he wouldn't have communicated this to her. The woman still carried a gun.

Emma was no cook. For their supper she had made spaghetti with jarred sauce, opened a grocery store salad and she had split and buttered some hard rolls. She had bought sparkling red grape juice for herself, but Gold was indulging in red wine.

"Gold," she finally broached the topic, hoping he was in a good mood after her best imitation of a home cooked meal. "Are we doing the right thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Getting custody of Henry," she tried to make her voice as neutral as possible, but found she couldn't meet his eyes.

Gold sat a moment without saying anything. "Did something happen, my dear that would make you reconsider?"

"Oh no, I was just wondering if this was right for him."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that he had narrowed his eyes as he looked hard at her. There was no immediate response, but when he did speak, his voice was very quiet and smooth. "You are going to need a great deal more practice if you are going to start lying to me, my dear. Tell me what happened." This was no request.

"I was just thinking over everything," she tried to convince him that this was her idea.

"Emma, tell me what happened," he repeated.

She dropped her head. "It was Regina."

"Of course it was. What happened?"

"She came by to tell me how much she loved Henry and how hard it would be if she lost him. And I can understand how she would feel because I did lose him," Emma started to explain in a rush.

"Regina doesn't love Henry. Regina loves Regina and hates to lose anything," there was a hard edge to his voice.

"But she looked god-awful, like she had been crying. She really did seem upset and worried. She didn't want me to tell you, either. She felt sure you would take some revenge on her for speaking to me."

He slowly nodded. "That's a realistic concern. I've told her to stay away from you or there would be consequences."

"Please don't do anything. For me."

"I'll think about it," he replied, but Emma did not hear any promise in his voice.

They sat in silence for a moment. "There's something else," he finally said. "What else did she tell you?"

"Nothing," Emma responded quickly.

"Emma, you have always been one of the most moral people I've met, but you have one conversation with Regina and now this is twice you have lied to me in one evening." He sat and waited.

Emma finally shared. "She said that you two had had a daughter, a daughter that died and you have held her responsible."

Gold sat still a long moment. "Did she say that?" his voice had that calm, quiet quality again.

"Was she telling the truth? Did you two have a daughter?"

"Yes, we did. A lovely little girl. She was just fine at first." He stopped talking and Emma could tell there was still raw grief in the man. She got up and went over to him, hugging him into her.

"I doubt that she would tell you what happened to the baby," he said softly.

Emma shook her head.

"Regina was left alone with the child and she smothered her. Regina killed my child."

Emma pulled back. "What! Why would she do such a thing?"

"Because it was my child and it looked like my child," he explained.

Emma shook her head. "I don't understand."

"She was married to someone else at the time she was still. . . uh. . . having relations with me. The child was clearly mine," Gold looked Emma straight in the eye. "Do you understand now?"

Emma considered. "The creature. . .uh, goblin side of you had fathered the child? Is that what you are trying to tell me? The child did not look human. "

"Exactly. She didn't want anyone to know she had been with me. Even if she had wanted to call it rape, and there would have been no problem getting people to believe that, she didn't want anyone to know she had been with me under any circumstances. For people to know that she had given birth to my daughter was something she could not live with. It had to be covered up and she did just that."

He turned away from Emma. "I have not been able to forgive her. I admit that. She murdered my child."

"Wow, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I couldn't have known. No wonder you and she are at each other's throats." Emma thought a moment. "Knowing what you know about her, why on earth did you get her a baby to adopt?"

"I needed to have a way to get you back here when you were twenty-eight. Giving her your child to raise, knowing the child would be special and would get you here on time, knowing I would be able to keep an eye on things. Understand, it was what I _had_ to do."

Emma's breath caught in her throat. "Wait a minute. If this is the real story, if you knew all this, then you _did_ come looking for me when I was eighteen. The 'crazy story' you told me of how you came to be Henry's father is actually the true one, not the one that you just went looking for 'feminine companionship' and I just happened to come along."

"I gave you both stories and you accepted the one that you could. You weren't ready for the truth, but I still gave it to you."

"In a way you knew I wouldn't believe it!"

"And what way would you have believed it, Emma? How could I have told you the truth in a way that you would have accepted it, believed it?" Gold was still speaking quietly. "Emma, I have never intended to mislead you, but you are only now coming to believe in magic, coming to believe in your son's theory, coming to believe in Fairyland. And most of the time, I think that you still think it's a bad dream, a bad dream with a menacing creature in it, one you don't trust."

Emma sighed. "It's hard to accept. I know you keep showing me magic, but it's still hard for me to accept that there was or is this entire other world. And I have this curse to break."

Gold pulled her down onto his lap. "You're doing fine. What I see if that some things are easier for you than others. Regina as the Evil Queen, for instance."

Emma smiled and agreed, "That one is easy. But Dr. Hopper as Jiminy Cricket. Mary Margaret as Snow White and David Nolen as Prince Charming, let's see, Ashley Boyd as Cinderella. Those are hard. Who are the nuns, by the way?"

Gold made a face. "Fairies."

"Why don't you like them?"

"We have a history, let's just leave it at that for now," and he began to kiss her, tugging her t-shirt up and reaching under it to caress a breast.

"Now you're changing the topic," she tried to stop him, but he was fairly determined. She made one last attempt, "Given my original question, I guess we are doing the right thing, trying to get Henry back."

"Absolutely," he agreed and he was pleased that she began to return his attentions. Later, in the evening, on his part, Gold was relieved that he didn't need magic to attend to his new wife.

+ + + + + _Gold has the last word_

It was three o'clock in the morning. Regina was asleep when a noise disturbed her rest. She opened her eyes and saw him, sitting in one of the chairs of her bedroom.

"Shit, she told you," she said.

"Not at first. She actually tried to protect you. You should feel grateful. But she's a terrible liar. She doesn't have the practice nor the talent that you possess."

"So what are you going to do to me?"

Gold considered slowly. "Oh, I don't know. I had warned you to stay away from Emma. So what would be . . . appropriate?"

"You were going to change me into a rat, if I recall. Is that still a consideration?"

"Of course, but I think I want to keep you around for awhile. So much more fun. I've been considering alternatives. I would like to make you into a nice person, but I don't think I have ever had that much power. Not even to do that for a few weeks." He smiled at her.

He continued. "I had considered having you forget, forget who you really are, what you've done, but I don't think that would be much fun. I mean, you wouldn't know you were being punished, would you?"

He took a deep breath. "So I've decided to have you tell the truth. Just a simple spell, probably one of the first I ever taught you. Yes, if anyone asks you a question, you will have to answer with the truth."

"Rumple, please, I know so many things that shouldn't be said, including some things about you." Regina was not eager for him to enact this particular spell.

"I'm willing to chance it. I don't know that too many people will be asking you about me. But they will be asking you about your feelings for Henry, maybe your plans for the town, your business dealings, your personal life," he smiled at her. "Yes, I think this is an appropriate punishment for your meddling." He rose and went over to her, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Rumple, please. I'm sorry. I get so angry and do things. You know, I'm trying not to cross you. I have been trying to leave you and Emma alone, but with you going after Henry, it's not possible." She put her hand on his shoulder and slowly brought it down his arm in a gentle caress. "Why can you not just give me a tumble and be done with it?"

He did not remove her hand. "I'm a newly married man, dearie. Do you think I'm already willing to cheat on my wife? And with you?"

"Who's to know? I'm betting Emma isn't willing to do some of the things you used to have me do. I was always adventuresome, wasn't I?" She moved her hand back up his arm and then moved over his shirt which he wore without a tie and lacking the top button fastened, she reached in to touch the skin of his neck with the tips of her fingers, her polished nails trailing on his skin.

Gold gave her a slight smile. "Emma's a willing pupil. I'm satisfied with her progress at this point." He disengaged her hand from his neck. "And, if I'm going to put a truth spell on you, I'm certainly not going to have a go at you so you can tell my new wife at the first opportunity. No, I will just put the spell on you," he leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, "and leave." With that, he rose and walked into the darkness of her bedroom.

She didn't feel different. But this was a dangerous spell. She knew this. She was afraid.

NEXT_ Emma gets a kiss and Emma finds something of value. _


	23. Emma has an Idea

+ + + + + _Dream_

"You're not going to open the cage, are you?" the creature asked.

"No, not until I'm sure it's the right thing to do. I can visit you, bring you things, look for The Red Feather, but I don't want to interfere with someone else's justice."

The creature was irritated, "I guess that's what comes from marrying a sheriff. Have to follow the letter of the law," his voice was sing-songy. He sat back down in the back of the cavern.

"I'm sorry. I know if I let you out and it's the wrong thing to do, I won't be able to undo it."

"I think you just like having me at your mercy. And after you got me to promise you not to lock you in a room – you're not fair, Emma Swan Gold. You are not fair."

"If you're going to criticize and complain, I won't stay," she said and turned to go.

There was a brief moment. "No, please, stay. I do enjoy your company. And I like to look at you. You are very beautiful."

_He sounded so lonely._ She turned back and sat down near the cage on a rock. Not too comfortable and probably ruining the dress, but this was only a dream.

"With these bars, I cannot offer you the services of a husband, Emma. But I could give you a kiss. Will you let me kiss you?"

"I don't know. You look so different. You're not human."

"But you're not repulsed, are you? You could find me . . . tolerable?"

"Tolerable, perhaps."

"Then give us a kiss, just one kiss," the creature wheedled.

Emma considered. Over her visits, the creature had become much less frightening and, when he was being charming, as he was now, he emoted an allure. He was very powerful, even she could tell, even behind the bars, even with the binding spell laid on him. She could sense power and energy almost spewing off of him in waves. She moved alittle closer to him. He did not reach out for her, restraining himself, knowing that his hands with their blackened nails did repel her.

"No hands, no tongues," she bargained.

"Agreed," and he put his hands behind his back.

Emma carefully approached the cage and came face to face with the creature. The eyes were the same, dark, rich chocolate brown as Gold's. The deep, almost sinister, intelligence shone through. She stood before him and leaned forward. She couldn't stop herself from closing her eyes. Their lips touched firmly, but briefly.

"Very nice, princess. You taste very sweet." He did not press any advantage.

She opened her eyes and stepped back.

"Let me out?" he asked again ingenuously.

Emma had to laugh. "No, you devil. No." She stepped away from the cage. "Now listen. I am willing to look for that Red Feather, but I will have to leave here. Do you have any idea where it might be?"

The creature shook his head, "_They_ took it from me. The damn fairies made it. They made it to bind me. Once it did it's job, _they_ took it from me. They put me in a cage to take me here and made me walk from the cage to this prison where they locked me in. And I've been here so long, so long. Waiting for you to let me out. Waiting for you." He sounded so sad, so lonely. Emma's heart wrenched and, for a brief moment, she considered relenting and letting him out. She stood quietly and suddenly noticed that he was watching her, watching in anticipation.

She backed away yet again so that she was at the far wall of the cavern. "No, no, you aren't going to make me change my mind. I'll go look for The Red Feather."

She heard him laugh, a low undertone of mirth mixed with irritation.

She had never ventured outside of the cavern. Going outside, she felt more and more like she was swimming in a fog. Nothing seemed quite real. She wasn't even aware of the ground under her feet. She saw nothing moving, no people, no animals, not even birds or insects. For a moment she had the eerie sensation that she might be a ghost, just drifting through.

She stopped and got her bearings. When she looked behind herself, she could see that the entrance to the cavern was a black hole hidden by bushes and trees, sheltered in the bottom of a mountain, well at least a really big hill. Before her, a path wound around and she could see the spires of a large building, a castle? built on top of the hill. As she walked up the path, it became wider and joined in with a road. She took care to look around her in case she would need to retrace her steps. The path back to the cavern was not marked and could easily be missed unless a person was looking for it.

Emma began to see cottages with fences and gardens, but no people, no animals. Everything looked like it had been abandoned earlier in the day. Gardens were neat and tidy with no weeds overgrowing them. Fences were in good repair. Pristine white curtains could still be seen hanging in windows.

The closer she got to the castle, the bigger the houses became and the closer together they were built. She saw no one. The castle gates were opened, hanging from their hinges as if they had been blasted inward.

Emma moved more carefully now. If this was the Fairyland of Henry's telling, there would be no one, should be no one. Everyone would be in Storybrooke. Except her goblin, her Mr. Gold. He seemed to exist in both places. He seemed to be the only one.

Once inside the main castle, she began to realize that finding The Red Feather would be a daunting task. The place was huge and she had no idea where to look. She rummaged around, feeling uncomfortable, as if she was in someone else's house, like a thief. Wandering from room to room, she increasingly began to feel that this was going to be a waste of time. If it was as important as the creature had implied, it had probably been hidden and she would never be able to search the place by herself and she wasn't going to enlist _his_ help. For all she knew, finding The Feather was just another one of his ploys to get her to release him.

+ + + + + _An Idea_

Emma woke up. Damn nausea. She often felt that it was getting worse, not better. She was less than two months into the pregnancy and knew from her reading that she probably had another month to go. Gold was ever attentive, holding back her hair and sympathizing with her.

"Hey, you're supposed to be a magic man. Can't you give me something to help this?"

"Maybe, do you want me to mix you up something?" he was sincere.

"Whoa, I don't know about taking some herbal crap or magic crap. Right now it sounds like a great idea, but I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt the baby. So, I guess, thanks, but no thanks."

He waited a moment. "You went looking for The Red Feather, didn't you?"

Emma flinched. "You know that creeps me out, that you know what I've been dreaming about."

"Only the dreams with the creature in them," he reassured her. "You didn't have any luck, did you?"

"I have no idea where to look for it. The place, I got to a castle, is humongous. I could wander around for weeks, for months. I don't even know it's in there." She began to pant, fighting off a wave of nausea. "Do you have any ideas where to look?"

"The damn fairies hid it somewhere. I'm sure of it. The whole thing was their idea. Just another one of the little schemes they had to take me down."

"You are the only person I've ever met who didn't like fairies," observed Emma.

"Well, I'm probably the only person you've ever met who has been thoroughly plagued by them and their little schemes. They decided I was their enemy from the beginning and have always done everything they could to work against me. It goes way back." He ran his hands through his hair and confessed, "Of course, I didn't mend any fences by taking out quite a few of them in my day."

Emma was surprised. "Are you telling me that you killed Tinker Bell?"

"Probably, if she was one of the mosquito-sized ones. They can sting, They were very aggravating. Of course, it was the Fairy Godmothers who could really do some damage."

Emma shook her head. "I don't like hearing that you took out any fairies. I like fairies."

"You wouldn't if you knew them like I know them. Little bitches. All of them."

"You told me they were. . . ?" Emma asked. She had had an idea.

"The nuns, down in the convent."

"Of course. That makes sense, including why you wouldn't extend them any time to pay their rent and have never cut them any slack on what you are charging."

Gold frowned. "That's one of the groups that I won't bend for. Too much history between us."

"But is it possible The Red Feather is with them. Would it be something other than a quill pen?"

Gold looked at his new bride sharply. "Emma, very good. It would exist here somewhere and could possibly, probably, be disguised as something else."

"Listen," she began slowly. "I don't understand the physics of this duel-world thing. But if I find something in one world, would it substitute in the other world?"

Gold nodded. "Yes, I'm sure it would. You're thinking the nuns have it hidden somewhere."

"Maybe not even hidden. I'll drop the convent after breakfast.

+ + + + + _The Devil's Pen_

"Sister Fata Celeste," Emma greeted the head of the convent warmly. Unlike her prickly husband, she had never had any problems getting along with the sisters.

"My dear Sheriff Swan, or is it Sheriff Gold now? What brings you out here? How can I help you?" The woman was a mature, petite lady who moved and spoke with a quiet air of authority and dignity.

Emma had planned out her mission. "Either name will do. I had heard you grow a number of herbs out here and I was looking to place some around the house. I'm thinking something silvery would look nice against the pink house." _Why did Gold have a pink house, anyway? She would have thought a yellow one._

The sister nodded. "Oh, we have several things that would do well. You want a bush or something that might spread abit?"

"Something that might spread, but not be too invasive," that sounded good to Emma, who really didn't know plants any more than she knew cooking.

"Probably some Silver King Artemsia, then. Come with me, dear. We should have some you can have."

The sister was walking her through the building when Emma stopped cold. There, in the main hall, was a large display case. It had a number of trophies in it along with some candlesticks and other oddments. But there. In the middle. In a box. The most ornate red and gold pen she had ever seen. It had to be The Red Feather quill. Gold had never seen here because he could not bring himself to enter the convent. It had sat here, in full view, for twenty-eight years.

"Oh my goodness! That's beautiful!" she gushed.

"Oh dear! It has quite the dark history," the sister shared.

"Oh tell me, please."

The older woman easily went into the story. "It's called the Devil's Pen. The legend is that this land was once threatened by a devil. He soured the milk, made people sick, carried off children,"

"All the usual stuff, huh," remarked Emma.

"All the usual stuff and then some. He seemed to have a special thing for babies. And one poor, young girl traded her dismal lot in life for her first born. In due time, of course, she met and married a prince."

"But once she got pregnant, she didn't want to give up the baby," guessed Emma.

"Exactly right, my dear. She confessed what she had done to her husband and they concocted a scheme to entice the devil into a new agreement. They told him that the girl was to have twins and she would give up both of them in exchange for prosperity for the kingdom."

"Of course the devil agreed."

"Indeed he did. But the pen, this pen, that he used to sign the contract had been blessed by the priest and all the nuns and dipped in holy water. Once the devil signed the contract, the power in the pen, the good power, took over him and bound his dark powers, so that the good people of the town were able to imprison the devil."

Emma had the urge to say something about the twit who had promised her first born to begin with and then reneged, but didn't. "Do you believe that story?"

"Oh no, I suspect some wealthy patron gave it to the convent a longtime ago. Where the devil story came from, I have no idea."

"So you don't think it's evil or anything?"

"Oh, not at all. It was used for the forces of good. It just has that unfortunate name." The sister was moving down the hallway again and Emma followed. She could think of no way to get the pen beyond stealing it.

+ + + + + _Paydirt_

Emma came into the pawnshop with dirt on her hands and face.

"You look like you've been gardening," Gold observed immediately.

"I have and I have hit paydirt. I found The Red Feather." She told him of her visit at the convent and the 'Devil Pen' that she had found.

"That has to be it. It fits perfectly," agreed Gold.

Emma looked at him archly, "Does it, now?"

Gold gave her a closed-mouth smile and said. "It does."

Emma continued, "But I don't know how to get it beside stealing it. I don't know that the sisters will be willing to give it up."

"Of course they will. It has a price. I just have to go and find out what they want for it." He leaned over and kissed her on the mouth. "You may have just saved your husband's life."

+ + + + + _Confession_

Emma was sitting in the Sheriff's office, monitoring the radio. It had been a quiet morning. She had found a bucket and stuffed the artemsias into it. She would try to get them planted later today or tomorrow. She was considering going out to get something to eat when Regina swept in. She looked better than she had the last time she had spoken to Emma.

"Good morning Emma. Beginning to get that pregnancy glow, my dear," she seemed actually cheerful _What was up?_

"I don't know about that," Emma responded. "I'm still having morning sickness that doesn't seem to be getting any better. I don't remember it being nearly this bad with Henry."

"Well, maybe it won't last much longer." Regina looked around. "Your husband isn't around, is he?"

_What was up?_ "No, I left him in his shop. Did you need to see him?" Emma asked knowing this was unlikely.

"Oh no. You are the one I wanted to see. To thank you for trying to protect me."

Emma said nothing.

"Gold came by to see me, well, rather early, early one morning, and said you had told him, but had tried to protect me. I appreciate that. He was still livid. I was afraid he would hit me. He's never hit you, has he? That would make him a world class loser to hit a pregnant woman."

Emma shook her head and confirmed, "He's never hit me."

"I'm glad. He came into my bedroom and insisted on lecturing me about bothering you. I tried to apologize, telling him how upset I had been, but he didn't want to hear it. He did finally end up giving me a kiss but that was all."

Emma tried to remain nonchalant, neutral, uninvolved, uncaring, but she was about to go up in flames. She took a shot, "So who said no to sex, you or him?"

"Oh he did. Said his marriage was too recent, his bride was too new for any dalliance and left."

"After a kiss," Emma repeated.

"After a kiss," confirmed Regina. "Oh dear, have I upset you? I'm still thinking this marriage is a sham, something you two put together to get Henry."

"I'll be fine, dear." Emma then asked a question she had been considering. "You still have feelings for Gold, Regina?"

"Uhm," Regina froze and began to back out of the office.

Emma repeated her question. "Regina, how do you feel about Gold?"

Regina stood still for a moment, closing her eyes, as if she was struggling. In a very soft voice, barely audible, she answered, "I still love him." She turned and left.

"Holy crap on a cracker," Emma said to herself. If Regina was telling the truth, this changed everything. Regina wanted Gold. She was jealous of Emma. And Regina knew if she lost Henry, she would never get Gold. But was she telling the truth? She was no more trustworthy than Gold.

NEXT _Gold visits the Fairies, uh, the Nuns, and Gold has a gift for Emma_


	24. A Little Deal

_I believe the issue I was having with notification has been resolved and I am now getting emails on my reviews, your new chapters (yay) etc. For awhile there, I was getting nothing. but I've now gotten about four days accumulation of notices come in. Not sure what went strange, but I'm hoping it's all fixed now. txm_

+ + + + + _A Little Deal_

"Sister Fata Celeste," Gold greeted the woman he had known as the Blue Fairy with a massive effort at cordiality. It was almost more than he could manage, to keep his expression from showing any feelings. He couldn't begin to pretend friendship or warmth. He hated, loathed, and despised this woman bitterly for the grief and aggravation she and her kind had caused him over the years. He knew that if he had ever gotten this close to her in Fairyland, he would have destroyed her in heartbeat. He clenched his hands into fists. . . to keep them from trembling. . . to keep himself from vaulting over her desk to strangle her. . . he wasn't sure.

"How are you Mr. Gold?" she smiled at him, blithely unaware at his deep animosity. "I hope there has been no problem with our latest payment. Thank goodness for that power outage, we were able to sell enough candles to come through with the rent. I believe our plant sales will more than enough to carry us through the coming months. I just found your lovely wife some beautiful artemisias and she insisted on paying for them."

"There's no problem with the rent money," he assured her.

She leaned forward conspiratorially. "And I know about your generous donation to the building fund, sir. I know you meant for it to be anonymous, but someone along the line has let it slip that you were behind it."

He sat back in the chair and gazed steadily at the sister, unnerving her with his steely silence.

"I think you wanted it to be a secret?" she asked hesitantly.

"I have a reputation for ruthlessness that I need to protect," he informed her. "People finding out that I'm funding a charity is not good for that reputation."

"I think only a few of our board members are aware that you made the donation. I'll talk with them to make sure they keep it quiet. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"You know my lovely wife," he began.

"Yes, Sheriff Swan, or should I say Sheriff Gold. Delightful lady." She did seem anxious to keep in his good graces.

"I think so. We are about to celebrate our one week anniversary and I wanted to do something to show her how much I appreciate her and the wonderful changes she has made in my life."

"How sweet," the sister was puzzled. "Is there something we can do?"

He hesitated, as if he wasn't comfortable asking. "Yes, actually there is. When she visited you this morning, she spotted a beautiful pen, I believe it was red and gold. She has not stopped talking about it. She usually is not one for material things and I've never known her to ask for anything, but she has been absolutely taken with this particular pen. Is it, could it be something I might be able to buy from the order? I'd be willing to pay more than a fair price."

The sister took a deep breath. "The Devil's Pen."

"Ma'am?" he asked.

"The pen is known as The Devil's Pen. It's an old, silly legend that it was used to trap the devil."

Gold made an expression of distaste. "Well, I don't know that this would be an appropriate gift. She had just told me how beautiful the pen was. I'm not sure I want to give her something called 'The Devil's Pen'."

The sister quickly shifted tacks. "Oh, I told her about the legend. That it's just an old story. No one thinks there is anything evil or sinister about the pen, in fact the pen is really supposed to be a force for good. Just an unfortunate name. Let me get it for you." She rose and bustled down the hallways, with Gold following with apparent reluctance.

The trophy case was just down the hall and soon enough the two stood in front of it. Sister Fata Celeste found the key to open the case and retrieved the pen from the display box.

Gold quickly asked, "Could I look at it in the box?" He wasn't comfortable touching the damned thing. From his perspective, it was cursed and he wasn't going to have anything more to do with it than he had to. He could see faint sporadic sparks of energy coming from it, as if it had stored up his power but, from time to time, tiny bits of power would manage to leak out. He was surprised the sisters couldn't see or sense it. Apparently their magic had been completely shut down by his spell. He couldn't help a slight smile - something he had gotten exactly right – rendering these bitches impotent.

"Of course," the sister put it back in the box and handed this to Gold.

He pretended to examine it in the box. "It is lovely, but I'm still not sure something called The Devil's Pen is an appropriate gift for my wife."

"Oh, Mr. Gold. It's perfectly safe. It supposedly helped capture the devil. I'm sure Ms. Gold wasn't bothered by the legend."

"Well," he continued to sound reluctant but finally, hesitantly, he asked, "And what would you want for this? It's been here at the convent for awhile, I gather."

The sister was hesitant, "I don't know that I would feel comfortable putting a price on it. Especially not for you and Ms. Gold."

Gold looked her right in the eye. "How about I double the contribution to the building fund and we consider the pen a thank you gift from the sisters for my wife's efforts in helping the community." _And this way I have a very nice tax deduction._

He thought the sister was going to faint. "Sister, are you alright?" He balanced the pen in the box and reached out to catch her arm. He recoiled at touching the fairy but managed to keep her on her feet and he then withdrew his hand as quickly as he could, as if he had been burnt.

"I'm fine, sir," she said, quickly righting herself, struggling to breath normally. "Your offer is more than generous."

He wrote out the check and handed it to the sister. "Pleasure doing business with you, sister," he nodded and pocketing the box with the pen, he started to take his leave. He stopped one more time, "Absolutely, this donation is to be kept anonymous. I don't want anyone finding out it came from me.

"Of course sir, absolutely confidential and anonymous," she assured him.

_The judge will know within an hour of her depositing the check, he thought._

Gold took his leave. Once away from the sister, he stopped a moment, leaned against the building and willed his breathing to slow. He hadn't realized how excited he had become. Retrieving The Red Feather. This was momentous. He could break the binding spell. No, correction. Emma could break the binding spell. It wouldn't get him out of the cage, but it was a start. And it would markedly increase his powers in this world.

+ + + + + _Red Things_

Gold waited for Emma to come home. He was taking his turn fixing a celebratory supper for himself and his bride. He had prepared a quick salad with dried cranberries, apples, perano cheese and spinach with a raspberry vinaigrette. Then he had seared tuna and prepped a mango salsa with a simple side of bacon wrapped green beans. He had stopped on the way home at the Gingerbread House and purchased a two-person white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, knowing he wouldn't have time to make one. He had also prepared non-alcoholic chocolate shots, with added cinnamon, knowing Emma's love for chocolate. . . and cinnamon.

When Emma came in, she was blown away. "You must have been laughing at my little spaghetti with jar-sauce attempt at supper. I didn't know you could cook." She started to help as she could with setting the table and lighting candles.

"I'm rather good at mixing things up," he shared.

"Yeah, I should have imagined," she replied. "Part of your magical talents."

"Potion Making 101. Exactly," he agreed.

They ate in silence by candlelight. Emma's appetite, as always, was good and she ate her share and part of his.

"This is fantastic. You should cook every night. And I'm eating for two," she explained as he watched her get a third serving. They polished off the chocolate shots "These are delicious," she exclaimed, Gold led her back into the living area and sat her the couch. He had some pleasant memories of a previous time with her on the couch, but set that aside. He wanted to talk to her about The Pen. Emma wanted to talk to him about Regina.

They both started talking at once. Gold stopped and gestured for Emma to begin.

She took a deep breath. "Regina came by today."

"Shit," he swore. He knew what was coming.

"Yeah, she had to tell me that you had visited her bedroom and given her a kiss." she tried not to sound jealous, after all they weren't in a marriage based on their feelings for each other. She had made that quite clear. She really didn't have any right to feel anger or, what was that? Oh yes, jealousy.

He sat a moment. "OK, the truth. I did visit her bedroom, we had a discussion, she propositioned me, I turned her down, I put a truth spell on her which I delivered in the form of a kiss – that's how I have delivered spells to her for many years." He added, "She's never been amenable to drinking any of my potions, if you can imagine, and she can sometimes wave off an energy blast, which is another way to deliver a spell. The kiss has always been simple and effective. I'm sorry, I should have realized she would tell you and it would be. . . awkward."

Emma looked sideways at him, "Yeah, awkward, that's what it is," and she reminded herself again that she did not have feelings for the man, theirs was a marriage of mutual benefit, of convenience. _So why did she keep picturing them together, ruminating over it, not able to let it go? Had he put his hands on her? Had he enjoyed it? Had she enjoyed it? _She took a breath,"But you said you delivered a truth spell?"

"Her punishment for interfering with my life," he replied. "She has to answer truthfully to any question put to her, by anybody, at any time."

Emma stretched. "That makes this next part rather interesting."

Gold's interest was stirred. "Indeed."

She shared, "I asked her who had turned down whom for sex and she admitted that you had turned her down. Thank you." She smiled at him and continued, "Then I asked her how she really felt about you."

Gold was definitely interested. "What did she say?"

"She tried to get out of my office but I asked her again and she whispered her answer."

"Don't keep me in suspense, wife," he directed.

"She said that she loves you."

Gold took a sharp, quick intake of breath. He sat back on the sofa. "Still," he murmured to himself. Then he smiled, very slowly. "This is rather delicious." He considered. "If I had known this, I would have approached her very differently. There is so much more I could have done if I had realized she still had feelings for me, even though these are 'Regina feelings' and not quite like the real things."

"Quit gloating," Emma ordered. "Now you had something to share with me."

"Ah yes," Gold replied and got up to go over to his beautiful antique writing desk. He pulled out the display box and handed it to Emma.

"The Devil's Pen! However did you get it?"

"Told them that this was a one week anniversary gift for my new bride who had admired it earlier today."

"And?"

"And offered them a substantial donation to their building fund."

"I guess money is the ultimate magic in this world," Emma observed. "Well, what do we do with it?"

"You bring it with you when you have another dream. It should show up as The Red Feather. My counterpart will tell you what to do. You have to trust me on this one, Emma. And trust my counterpart. Please."

Emma nodded. "All right, but this is the strangest thing."

"Now," Gold said, going back over to the writing desk and pulling a wrapped gift box out of one of the drawers, "It is actually our one week anniversary, my beautiful Emma, my beautiful wife. I'd like to see you in this." He held out the present to her.

Emma was surprised. "What is this for?"

"Just to show my appreciation."

"A present!" Emma was not used to getting presents, especially surprise ones. She tore off the ribbon and packaging and opened the box. She started laughing.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," she held up a lacy red nightgown. "But is this something you are going to allow me to wear?"

"For alittle while. Why don't you model it for me, please?" he requested nicely.

Emma considered briefly, "Sure, why not?" She rose and went upstairs to change.

The gown was an excellent fit, low cut and clinging to her figure. _Good grief, where, when had he purchased it? What must the saleswoman have thought? _It was gathered under her bust so there was room to expand as she expanded. She ran a comb through her hair and, as a whim, she added some lipstick and, on an impulse, skipped the panties that went with the gown. When she went downstairs, he had cleared up from the dinner and stopped what he was doing when he saw her.

"I hadn't realized. . ." he began. He came towards her. "Beautiful," He gathered her up in his arms and began kissing her. "Wear this into Fairyland and the creature may forget about The Red Feather." He ran his hands over her. "Beautiful, I love you in red."

Emma caught her breath. "What did you just say?"

Gold looked at her, "You know what I said. I said I love you in red."

"Do you?"

He was smiling, "Yes, I do." He then began sliding the sleeve of the gown down her shoulder.

"I'd rather not do it on the dining room table, if you don't mind," Emma pushed him back.

He laughed at her. "Maybe I should get Regina. She reminded me that she was probably more adventuresome than you are."

"Oh she did, did she?" Emma had pulled away, more than a trifle irked. "Maybe you should go get Regina then."

"You wouldn't mind a threesome?" he asked, intentionally misconstruing her remark. "I think I could convince Regina to join us." He allowed Emma to sputter a moment before adding, "Or you could just let me do you on the dining room table like I planned to." He lifted her so that she would sit on the edge of the table and with his hands shifted the long red lacey garment so that it was pooled up around her waist. The table was at just the right height for what he had in mind.

"Slutty girl," he remarked. "You skipped the panties."

"I figured you'd have me out of them in thirty minutes. It hasn't even been five," she answered him.

"I didn't know you would look this good." Giving her a quick kiss, he then took both of her hands and wrapped her arms around her back, holding them together in one of his hands. He began seriously kissing her. With his free hand, he continued his efforts to pull the gown off of her shoulders. He quickly freed her breasts and began to lavish attention on these tender spheres, already swollen early in the pregnancy. He trailed his kisses down her neck and onto her breasts, fastening his lips on a nipple which responded instantly to his mouth. He heard her moan. Straightening up, he fumbled with his pants and freed himself and then shifted her down onto himself. She had a sudden in-take of breath, so abruptly impaled. She leaned into him, her hands still held by him, her balance off. He used his free hand now to hold her by the face, "Look at me, princess, I want to see your eyes when you surrender to me." He began to move in her.

"Release my arms," she managed to gasp out. "Let me hold you, please."

"Very nicely asked, " he answered and let her hands go. She promptly grasped his shoulders, bracing herself. He watched her closely, as so soon her breathing became increasing ragged. She had closed her eyes.

"Yes, yes," she whispered. "now, now."

"Look at me," he insisted and she opened her eyes to his. He watched her pupils suddenly grow and darken her blue eyes.

"Pretty, pretty," he whispered back. He quickly poured himself into her and then held her closely to him. After a moment, he said, "That was bit quick. I'm taking you upstairs to bed you properly." He pulled away and Emma lay back onto the table, as always, slightly dazed. She pulled on the nightgown and succeeded in covering herself. _Why bother_ she thought_ he'll have it off of me as soon as we hit the bedroom._ Gradually she was able to raise herself up and slip off the table, glad to find that her knees were supporting her weight.

"Ok, now I'm all sticky," she complained.

"I'll see about getting you cleaned up," he promised. "Let me get the pen."

He followed her up the stairs and stopped her from removing the nightgown. "I want to take it off of you myself."

She was already wrapping herself around him and suggested, "Well, why don't you try taking it off without using your hands?"

He actually laughed and then said, "I think I shall."

+ + + + + _An Agreement_

Emma was wearing another one of the polished, sophisticated dresses she now had that had passed Gold's standards. It was the date of the second hearing to establish custody for Henry. This one was a demure blue that matched her eyes. She had pulled her hair up and was wearing little, tasteful pearl earrings. She had found them in a box on her dresser that morning.

"You look lovely, my dear," he assured her knowing that for-going her leather jacket and gun made her feel vulnerable.

"I'm sorry I haven't had any dreams," she said to him. "I don't have any control over them."

"I know. It will happen." _He just hoped it would happen soon enough. _

_Gold knew his powers were not what they had been. As if with Emma's arrival, Storybrooke was attempting to get stronger and take all the magic away. Soon enough, the truth spell on Regina would fade. As soon as that happened, she would know that he was not as powerful as he had been leading her to believe. Yes, he could still work magic, but it cost him and the spells didn't hold. Her powers seemed to be at full strength, although he wondered if she was too was feeling the magic slip away. He did know however, if she should ever suspect that she had the edge on him, she would move quickly to take advantage. Any feelings she might have for him, be damned. She would crush him, cripple him. Only if he could restore his strength with unbinding his magic could he be sure that he would be able to stand against her. Emma didn't know how urgent the situation was nor her role in the unbinding spell. _

The judge greeted them with a big smile. Gold knew this was going to go well. He was more sure when Regina held back and pulled him aside before going into the judge's chambers.

"Listen, I don't want you to ask me about my feelings about Henry, about you or anything else in front of that judge. I'm willing to offer you shared custody if you will agree right now."

Gold looked at the woman. She had fear in her eyes and he knew, for the moment, that she was at his mercy. She was still under the truth spell _or at least believed she was_. If he asked the right questions, he could ruin her.

"Please," she begged him and he knew it was costing her dignity, pride and self-respect. Costing her greatly.

"You know, I could get full custody from you at this point just by asking 'please'," he sighed. "Or I could ask you a series of embarrassing questions which would result in full custody. But doing it this way, well, I guess you'll owe me a favor," he said with a slight smile. "Emma and I will agree to shared custody. Would you prefer that I speak to the judge?"

"Yes," she managed to whisper. She had dropped her eyes, but he knew she was furious with him. She did not like losing. She did not suffer humiliation well. She would be bent on vengeance. Any opportunity for getting even.

Gold went into the judge's chambers preceded by the two women. He sat between them and spoke to the judge.

"Your honor, Mayor Mills and I have been talking and we think we have come to an agreement that will work in Henry's best interests."

The judge was willing to hear about this agreement. After all, it made his job easier.

Gold put forth the shared custody agreement, noting that he, Emma and Regina were willing to split the holidays. He was also willing to pick up the primary financial burden, since Regina had already solely supported the child for his first nine years.

"We all want this to be as unstressful as possible for Henry. He is the most important person in this arrangement," Gold said reasonably, caringly, like a concerned father.

The judge agreed with the plan. And, true to form, Gold pulled out an agreement he had taken the liberty of putting together prior to the meeting. Emma and Regina both looked at him in some amazement.

She couldn't help herself. Regina said quietly to him, genuinely impressed, "You were always quite the one with contracts. You have not lost your touch."

"It's what they call a 'core competency,' what I do best," he responded. "Read it over, my dear. Make sure you're comfortable with all the codicils, appendices, riders and postscripts. I can give you a couple of days and we can meet back with the judge to sign off on the contract and agreements." He added. "We'd like Henry to come over for his first week starting tonight."

As they were departing, the judge pulled Gold over. "I'm surprised you agreed to shared custody. You had a strong case and I was willing to give you and Ms. Gold primary custody with the Mayor just having visitation."

"I think we will move in that direction soon enough. This contract is only good for six months," answered Gold. "And we may be back in front of you earlier than that if Henry doesn't seem to be adjusting."

As they walked out together, the judge lowered his voice. "I can't say that this was a factor, but there was a certain anonymous, very generous donation to a certain charity that I was informed of that truly impressed me. You aren't exactly the man the community paints you as, are you?"

"I don't know about that," said Gold. "I may be exactly as I'm painted." He turned, smiled and ended the conversation, "Thank you sir, for all your help."

+ + + + + _Moving Over_

Henry was elated. When would he move in with the Gold's? Where was his room to be? Could he have his own computer? What should he call them?

Emma tackled this last question first, "What would you like to call us?"

"I'd like to call you, 'mom'."

"I'd like that too. Now, how about Gold?"

Henry screwed up his face. "I don't know." Henry experimentally tried out his new name for Emma, "Mom, I've been thinking about this. Nothing sounds right."

"Well, let's consider the options," Emma began a list. "There's Dad, Daddy, Father, Pop, Pater"

"And there's 'Athair' in Gaelic," Gold had come up behind the two. "Or you can call me what your mother calls me, 'Gold'."

Henry considered. "I think that 'Father' will work best."

"That works for me," Gold told him. "You can stay here beginning tonight. You will have your pick of several rooms upstairs for your bedroom. We'll get you a computer today. Your mother has already had the house wired for the Internet."

Henry vaulted up the stairs to check out possible bedrooms for himself. Gold pulled Emma aside and said to her quietly, "I hadn't realized it before but having the child here will curtail some of our spontaneity. I'm not going to be able to have you strip off for me in the kitchen and do you on the table or the floor or wherever."

Emma grinned at him, "Oh no, you'll have to practice some restraint."

"That sounds like sass, woman. Remember I have many ways to punish you," he attempted to be threatening.

"But none of them cause pain," she responded to him.

Emma and Henry went back to the Mayor's house to pack a few clothes for Henry. He could not contain his excitement. Regina was blessedly not around to witness her son's pleasure at moving out, at least for a week at a time.

"Mom, is there any place in Mr. Gold's house that we aren't supposed to go?"

"What do you mean?"

"The evil guy always has some place people aren't supposed to go, but they always go and it doesn't work out well. They usually find out something about the evil guy and then he has to kill them. Does Mr. Gold have any place like that, that he's told you not to go?"

Emma thought it through. "I've been all over his house, the basement, the first, second and third floors. I haven't been into the attic, but he hasn't told me not to go there. As far as I know, you'll have the run of the house."

"But there could be a secret room, right?"

"Could be," admitted Emma. "The house is pretty big. Let me know if you find something."

"I can do that. I'm wondering if somewhere in his house is something we can use to find the key to his identity. You know that we still don't know who he really is."

Emma thought about the creature in the cage. That creature was who Gold was. But who was the creature? She gave Henry a smile, "And you still think he's evil, don't you?"

Henry hesitated. "I don't know. I want to believe that he's not evil because he's my father. But he has done some really bad things. I don't trust him. Do you trust him?"

It was Emma's turn to hesitate, "I'm beginning to trust him," she admitted. "And if he has done some really bad things, Henry, know that he has good reason and know that he has done some really good things too."

"Yeah, but he only does good things when they will turn out bad for somebody else," Henry observed. 

+ + + + + _Dream_

"At last," the creature was glad to see her. "I really like the dress, princess." She found herself wearing the red nightgown. It didn't seem quite decent outside of a bedroom. Damn Gold's suggestion, it had followed through to the dream world.

"I found The Red Feather," she announced. She was carrying the display box. "It's a pen in Storybrooke but should be a feather quill here. Let's see." She opened it and there was a large dark red quill instead of the ornate red pen she had last seen in the box.

"That's it. Clever Emma."

"What am I supposed to do with it?"

The creature came close to the bars of the cage. "Destroy it, princess. Destroy it."

She had picked it up out of the box and was twirling it around. It really was a nice quill.

She hesitated.

"Oh fuck!" the creature swore at her. "Are you going to have the same problem with this that you have with opening the cage?" He mimicked her, "I don't want to interfere with someone else's justice. What if I do this and it's a mistake and I can't undo it?" He sat down on the floor of his prison cell, deflated,

She answered slowly, "Yes."

"Emma trust me, please trust me on this. Regina will try to enslave Gold if you don't destroy the quill. Gold may die if you don't destroy the quill. Regina could kill him."

Emma held the quill up. "I don't want Gold to die. But Regina loves him. Why would Regina hurt him?"

"Because she can. Because he doesn't love her," the creature answered.

_NEXT: Gold gets a proposition and Emma expresses her feelings_


	25. Regina's Proposition

+ + + + + _ Irritation_

"You didn't destroy it," Gold was irritated with her. "Emma, please. You've got to trust me. You've got to destroy the quill."

Emma was throwing up in a bucket as she had done for every morning now for about nine weeks and her forbearance was limited. "Regina is going to try to enslave you? kill you? That's what the creature told me."

Gold nodded. "If she thinks she is more powerful than I am, she will take my heart out. She will try to turn me into her slave. If that doesn't work, if she can't do that, she will just kill me."

Emma retched again, recovered and asked, "But aren't you more powerful than she is?"

"I _was_ much more powerful. But now, not really. I have a few tricks that have backed her down a couple of times and, while we've been in Storybrooke, she has always believed that I have more power than she does. But my truth spell will wear off and when it does, she will realize that she has the upper hand and come after me. She's been waiting to do this for many years."

Emma nodded. Gold had never been so earnest, so sincere. She had always had a little trouble reading him, but everything that came through right now seemed real. He was almost afraid, not a feeling he had very often, if ever. "All right. I trust you. Next time. I'll break it. Will that do it?"

"It should, princess. It should."

Regina was feeling something. Something different. She went to Sidney. He was one of the few she might be able to trust with this.

"Ask me something, Sidney," she started. "Ask me how I feel about Mr. Gold," she directed him.

Sidney shrugged but complied. "Madame Mayor, tell me how you feel about Mr. Gold."

There was some compulsion there, but with only a modest effort she was able to overcome it. "I hate the sonofabitch. I wish he were dead," she managed to say. And then she smiled.

"Thank you Sidney. Thank you very much."

This was going to be sooo good.

Regina dropped by the pawnshop that afternoon. She was dressed in her usual simple, elegant style, her hair combed, her lipstick refreshed. "Mr. Gold. I just wanted to check up on Henry and make sure that he had a good night over at his new parents' house."

"He had a fine night," Gold replied. He didn't say anything else.

"That's good to hear. I really want him to be happy. Do you believe me?"

"I'm sure you're telling the truth."

"Are you, are you sure?" she smiled brilliantly. "Well, of course you are." She paused for a moment, then added, " I'm sure Emma told you about what I said about you."

"What was that?" Gold feigned ignorance.

"That I'm still in love with you. I am, you know," she ducked her head in a demure pose.

"Are you, my sweet?

She spoke slowly, her eyes half-closed, looking at him from beneath her long sooty lashes, "Can you, could you ever give me another chance?"

Gold looked at Regina closely. "To what end, my dear? I'm married with a child on the way. I've just regained custody of my son. I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize what I've worked so hard to get."

Regina leaned forward. She really was a beautiful woman. "Then we would have to be oh so clandestine, so very secret. You're good at moving around and not having anybody notice you. I remember how you could just show up at one end of a hall when everyone was looking for you at the other end. Would you, could you consider coming to me tonight?"

She was very, very close. Her full lips, almost touching his. It was a moment of weakness _(or was it a coolly calculated manipulation? He wasn't sure.)._ Gold cautiously reached up and put his hand behind her head, entwining his fingers in her hair, and drew her in for the last fraction of the distance to his lips. She closed her eyes as they kissed, slowly, softly, so different from the rough, controlling kiss he would give her when putting a spell on her. This was almost tender, an expression of forgiveness, of hope, of renewal.

"Come to me, will you?" she pleaded.

It was a long moment before he answered. "Yes," he finally said. "It will be very late. Wear something white. I weary of seeing you in black."

"Of course," she smiled at him, a sweet, happy smile. She turned and left the store.

_Well damn, he thought._

He sat back after supper. They had gotten take-out from the Diner given both of their work schedules. Henry had shoveled his down, apparently getting his healthy appetite from his mother, had then asked to be excused and had gone upstairs to play with his new computer. Emma and Gold were alone.

"Emma, I need to share something with you."

She looked up from of her favorites, an apple cobbler. "Oh oh, this sounds like a 'we have to talk' thing."

"Yes, it is." He pushed the remnants of his supper around his plate, not eager to make eye contact.

"Well, spit it out," Emma urged him.

"Regina has asked me to come to her."

"You told her, 'no,' right?"

He didn't answer.

"You told her, 'yes'?"

He looked up, caught her eye and nodded.

"You bastard! We haven't been married a month and you're going back to an old girlfriend already! I know our marriage isn't a typical one, but damn. At least do me the courtesy of appearing to be faithful and not flaunting your affair with Regina. If I weren't carrying this baby. . . " she stopped and gulped, angry tears threatening to well out of her eyes.

Gold watched Emma, actually pleased to see the jealously she was expressing.

She swallowed, pulled herself together and continued ranting, her apple cobbler forgotten. "Why does it have to Regina? Of all the women out there, Regina is the one I have the hardest time with."

Gold was quick. "Are there some other women that you would be ok with me seeing?"

Emma made a face, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. "If you're still looking for a threesome, forget it. I can't believe you're doing this! I can't believe you're telling me this!."

Gold waited until she took a breath and said quietly, "She's going to try to kill me."

Emma sat back, this news startling her, taking the wind out of her anger. "What? How do you know?"

He talked very quietly. "My truth spell is wearing off. She suspects that her powers are now equal or stronger than my own. She's been waiting for this a long time. She has often considered, but has never had the confidence to try to take me down. She has that now." He got up and began pacing. "She will first try to seduce me, because, as she told you, she still loves me, or what passes for love with Regina. But even if she were to be successful at getting me back into her bed," he stopped pacing and looked at Emma, "and I will do everything I can that she not succeed there, she still wouldn't trust me and the first moment she could, she would take my heart, literally take my heart, like she did with Sheriff Graham."

He turned to Emma putting his hands on her arms. "Emma, she takes hearts the way you might take someone's shoes. She stores them away and, should she become displeased with the person, she destroys the heart and so. . . "

Emma completed the sentence, "destroys the person. That's what happened to Graham, wasn't it? It looked like a coronary, but it was Regina."

Gold nodded, "Destroying his heart. Exactly. The person looks the same, but they aren't the same. If she could do that with me, she would control me and my power. It would make her far more dangerous than she is now. She would enslave me and, when she got tired of me, she would kill me."

"Then why go?

He released her and began to pace again. "If I don't go, she will know for sure that her powers have surpassed mine and she would certainly come after me. If I go, there's still a good chance I can back her down. I've done it before. If I go, she won't know for certainty and any doubt works in my favor."

Emma pushed her food away. "Gold, I am afraid. I know I've always said that I don't like you, but, well, maybe, in some ways, in a lot of ways, I, maybe, I, well, maybe I do, some. . . like you," she finished lamely, adding another "some," for good measure and a final "maybe."

"Emma, that's wonderful to hear. An undying, overwhelming declaration of 'like'." He stopped pacing, turned and smiled at her. "Well, know that I 'like' you too, very much. I always have, since you cut down Regina's apple tree, since you stormed into my shop when you thought I had started the fire at the mayor's house, since you arrested me for assault. I've always 'liked' you, Emma."

Emma felt warm all over. "I don't want to lose you, and especially not to Regina."

Gold came over to her. He leaned down and gently kissed her. "Then do the right thing, Emma. Go to sleep, destroy The Red Feather. I'm trusting you to do this. If you don't, all is lost."

He paused and quietly added, "Emma, if I go to her, she will expect sex. I will only be able to stall her with foreplay for so long."

"Are you asking my permission?" Emma asked him.

"I'm going to do what I have to do. I will need your tolerance. I would like your forgiveness."

Emma took a deep breath. "OK, I'm fine if she goes down on you and if you do that thing with her that you're not actually touching her."

"She's going to expect me to. . .uh. . .reciprocate. I always have, And she's going to expect me to touch her."

"Well hold off on 'reciprocating' as long as you can. And please try not to actually . . . " Emma searched for the right word.

Gold finished for her, "fuck her. I believe I can do that, provided you move on destroying The Red Feather."

Emma had several last thoughts, "What if I don't have the dream tonight? You know, I can't control it. What if I have the dream but then don't have The Feather. What if I can't fall asleep?"

"I'm pretty sure you're going to have the dream tonight and you'll have The Feather." He thought over her last problem. "You often are sleepy after I've attended to you, I will be sure to give you my best before I leave to see Regina."

With his conscience as clear as it ever could be, Gold had then lingered over dessert, helped Emma clean up from supper, and finally went up and visited with his son. Henry had picked a bedroom on the top floor, next to the room Emma had selected for herself long ago when she first had threatened to move out. It had a large window that looked out onto the street. Henry was involved with his new computer, something Gold was not comfortable with, sharing with Henry that computers never quite worked right for him, but he was able to listen to Henry extoll the virtues of various and sundry programs and utilities.

It was a quiet, nice father-son time, both of them trying to find some common ground besides Emma. Gold already knew that the child had a quick mind and an excellent memory. He could see both himself and Emma in the child's thinking; nonetheless he was startled when Henry spoke.

"Can you do magic?"

"You mean like take a rabbit out of a hat?" he evaded the question.

Henry persisted, "No, I mean like _real_ magic. You know."

Unfortunately, Gold did know. "Sometimes," he hedged. "Sometimes everyone can do magic."

"But you can do it all the time, just like my mom," Henry hesitated, correcting himself, "like Regina can do. My mom, Emma, she can read minds and knows if people are telling the truth. Sometimes I know when things are going to happen before they happen. Like I knew mom was going to have a baby and I figured out that you were my real dad. But you can do other stuff, I think, a lot of other stuff."

"Sometimes," Gold admitted. _So Henry had inherited the Talent of precognition from him and perhaps, likely, some of his mother's empathic abilities. If he was manifesting here in Storybrooke under the magic-stifling umbrella, how powerful would he be in Fairyland? Gold had not known if his possessing The Dagger would affect his offspring, but now, it did seem that it had. He knew for certain that Henry had certainly not had any fairies blessing him in his cradle. _

"Can you teach me?" Henry asked his father.

"Perhaps, if you have an aptitude." _And I survive this night in a state to manage it. _"We'll talk more about it tomorrow. I don't know if your mother, Emma, would approve."

Henry smiled, "With my mom, a lot depends on how and when you ask her something."

_So Henry had also inherited a certain deviousness from his father. _

_Next Gold and Regina have a showdown_

_Emma pays a price for magic_


	26. Three O'Clock

+ + + + + _Three O'Clock_

It was three o'clock. Regina had dropped off to sleep waiting for Gold. As he had requested, she was wearing a white lace and silk gown. It looked like something a bride would wear for her new husband.

His voice startled her into wakefulness. "You look beautiful, my dear," Gold said from what had become _his chair_ in her bedroom.

"I was afraid you had changed your mind," she said a tad sulkily.

"Of course not. But I had to wait until my new wife was sound asleep. Let me see you. Come here and stand before me." He ordered her around like he had so long ago when she was just his 'girl,' one struggling to learn magic from him. It was good to remind her of what had once been her place with him.

She hesitated a moment, resisting being ordered around like a scullery maid, but then, relenting, complied with his request and stood before him.

Gold twirled his finger, "Turn around, slowly."

She complied again, turning around slowly so that he could see the total picture.

"Lovely, my dear. You are more beautiful now than when you were sixteen."

"When you decided I was old enough to rape."

"We had a bargain, dear. There was an exchange of services. And, as I recall, you were quite willing to spread your legs for me."

"Well, I was a silly, young girl who didn't know what she was doing."

"You aren't a silly girl now, Regina. You are a smart woman who knows exactly what she's doing."

"I am, indeed," Regina came closer to him and knelt before him. "You have always been the most interesting man I've ever known. Brilliant, manipulative, arrogant, irritating, but also enigmatic, enticing and so attractive." She began to caress his thighs.

Gold caught her hands. "Regina, you can tell that I'm interested, my dear, very interested." He put one of her hands onto his erection. "My concern is this. I'm recently married and even though the marriage is mostly for show, I still don't want you running back to my wife to tell her that I've been with you. Can I trust you to be discrete?"

"Oh darling, of course I'm going to tell Emma. You know me too well to believe I'd do anything else. You'll have to use one of your other spells to keep me quiet."

He smiled down at her, "Ah yes, the truth spell. Still working, I see. I will have to find another spell to keep you quiet about this."

Gold sat back and allowed Regina to entertain him with her hands, her lips and tongue. Her talents had certainly improved with time. She was no longer the little chit he had taken on so long ago. He told himself that this wasn't quite cheating, not quite like having sex.

Nor was the follow-up time he spent with Regina laid out on bed and his hands between her thighs. He was hoping that Emma would hurry up. He had only about two more options before he would run out of things to do that weren't exactly sex.

+ + + + + _The Price of Magic_

Emma was frantic. She ran down into the cold, dark cavern, clutching The Red Feather.

"Help me, help me," she called to the creature. "Regina thinks she is more powerful than Gold and she is trying to seduce him and is going to try to take his heart!" she blurted out.

"My, my, Princess. One would think you had feelings for Gold," the creature slowly emerged from the shadows.

"Please, please, what do I have to do? I'm supposed to destroy The Red Feather. What do I have to do?"

"You trust Gold? You trust me?" the creature asked.

"Yes, yes. What do I do?"

"Let me out?"

Emma stamped her foot furious at the creature. "No! Tell me! How do I destroy The Feather, imp?"

He slowly smiled at her. "Come here, princess." He gestured with his hand for her to come to him.

She complied, shaking with nervousness.

"I think you care a lot about Gold. Have you told him?" The creature had come right up next to the bars and was grinning at her.

"We don't have time for this! How do I destroy The Feather?"

"Have you told him?"

"How do I. . .sort of. . . I told him I liked him some."

The creature shook his head. "You liked him some. Oh, princess, that will never break the spell." He reached out and stroked her face. "How do you really feel about Gold, princess? Tell me how you really feel."

Emma dropped her eyes. "Do we have to, right now?"

"Yes princess. This is the price of the magic. If you want this to work, you have to tell me how you really feel about Gold."

Emma hesitated and swallowed. "I think I'm falling in love with him."

"You think?"

"I've never felt this way about anyone. I don't know," she said honestly. So many walls were still wrapped around her.

The creature held her in his gaze for an interminable period. "That's enough, princess. That's enough. We have your trust. We are beginning to have your love."

He turned away from her and continued, "Take The Feather in your hands."

She complied.

"Put your fingers on the center of The Feather and, this is very important, think about your feelings about Gold, your love, your trust for him."

Emma closed her eyes, holding The Feather as she had been told to.

"Now snap it. Break it into two."

"That's it?" she asked.

"It's the feelings, the thoughts that are hard, princess. Do as you're told."

Emma did as she was told. But nothing happened. She thought harder about her feelings. And as she thought harder, more deeply, she could begin to feel The Feather cracking until finally it snapped. Wind flew out of broken ends, swirling around her, swirling into the creature. He stood still with his arms outstretched, absorbing the energy as it flowed back into him.

"Good job, Emma. Brave Emma." He lowered his arms. "Give me a kiss," he ordered her.

Without thinking, she leaned in and touched her lips to his. She could feel his hands reach through the bars as they wrapped around her waist. The kiss deepened and her head fell back as she gave herself to his passion. "Let me out, Emma, let me out," he whispered.

She had a hard time clearing her head, a hard time breathing, a hard time standing up. She slowly pulled away from the creature. "I can't. Not yet."

"Guess my name, then," he said abruptly.

"I don't know. Gold uses an 'R.' for his first name. Does your name start with 'R'?"

"Guess, princess."

+ + + + + _Broken_

Emma woke up abruptly. She was alone in the bedroom. She turned on the light and, sure enough, the red pen was broken into two pieces. So she had broken the spell, hadn't she? Had she returned Gold's power? Had she done it in time?"

+ + + + + _The Challenge_

Gold was in the process of using his magic to bring Regina to yet another peak. He had, so far, avoided actual sex with her, but was exhausting his extensive repertoire. Abruptly, he felt the on-slaught, the rush of power, like a tornadic wind coming into him. Had Regina felt anything? Apparently not, as she was well in the throes of responding to his attentions.

She was gasping and clutching at the sheets. "When are you going to quite teasing me and come into me? Please, now, please."

Gold pulled back. "Oh Regina, I keep thinking about my pregnant wife. I'm having such guilt feelings."

She was still trying to get her breath. "What? Did I just hear you right? You're backing out on me?"

"I just don't feel this is the right thing to do."

"I don't give a damn, Gold. I'm expecting you to stay here, with me, tonight. I'm expecting you to give me your best."

He picked his pants up from the floor and began to put them on. "I'm sorry, dearie, it sounds like you are going to be disappointed." He added, pointedly, "My heart just isn't in this."

She was livid, drawing herself up on the bed, belatedly pulling the sheet up to cover herself "Your heart, you say. Maybe I can do something about that." She quickly moved from the bed and started to reach for him, but he batted her hand away.

"Regina, we've had this conversation before. I'm not in the mood to have it again."

"Do you think you just say 'please' and walk out of here. I will come after you. I will take you down."

"So you think you are ready? You think you can do this?"

"You are slipping, old man. Your little truth spell didn't last two weeks. You have spent your magic on your little slut bride and you don't have enough to go around. Spreading yourself too thin, Rumple, trying to do too many things and not doing any of them very well." Regina had wrapped the sheet around herself, toga-fashion, and was managing to look like an ancient queen. Her eyes were bright with anger and she looked very, very dangerous.

Gold finished putting on his socks and shoes and then put on and tucked in his shirt. He turned, almost wearily, to Regina. He sighed, "Then let's do it dearie. You have a choice of weapons."

"Water," she spit at him.

He nodded. "Excellent, not your strongest suit, but the element I'm likely to have the most problems with. But you knew that already, didn't you?" he smiled thinly at her. "What say you, shall we go to a clearer field? This room's alittle tight for combat."

"The Toll Bridge," she answered.

Gold held up one arm and was about to snap his fingers. He stopped and asked, "Oh, do I need to give you a lift?"

"I can manage, Hobblefoot," she told him.

And they both vanished from the bedroom and reappear on the Bridge. Regina had shed the sheet and had reattired herself back into the filmy, lacey white nightgown.

+ + + + + _The Duel_

Regina did not wait a moment. A tremendous wall of water immediately came at him, but Gold quickly and simply held up his cane. From out the top came what appeared to be a large luminous umbrella that shielded him from the intense wash. Some of the spray got on him, but he stood steady and firm. The wall of water should have washed him off the bridge; it would have taken a car away, but he stood firm.

"Is that first shot your best?" he asked disparagingly.

Regina did not answer, this time she flung out her hands and water lashed out at him in the form of three whips, wrapping themselves around him like ropes of water, typing his arms to his body, beginning to squeeze.

"This is an interesting technique, Regina. Like giant water snakes." His voice was slow and calm, very self-assured. "But for this to work, I have to actually believe these are snakes. If I believe it is just water, which it is, well, water just flows away. It's just water."

And the whips dissolved, soaking into his suit and puddling around his feet.

"One more shot, dearie. I'm getting bored."

Furious, Regina again waved her hands and another wave of water shot up and then came down on his head, freezing into a cage around him

"This is interesting," he remarked, grasping some of the ice bars in his hands. "This is very effective as a cage. Cold, hard, rigid." He stood still a moment, allowing Regina to begin to think that she had experienced a measure of success, finally containing him. "But you know, ice is so fragile and just a quick tap," he used his cane and rapped the bars. The ice shattered into tiny shards, splintering around his feet.

"I believe by anyone's dueling rules that it is now my turn, dearie."

Regina stepped back, "Now Rumple, darling. . ." she began.

But he snapped his fingers on one hand. "And I'm done."

Regina stood, stunned. "What did you do? What did you do?"

Gold took a deep breath. "When I first gained magic, I would just do it. But I found that people did not believe I had done anything. I had to learn to gesture," he waved his arms theatrically in the air and twirled his hands and fingers, "or they wouldn't believe. The more dramatic I made things, the more they believed. It was not an easy lesson for someone like myself to learn. I prefer subtly, quiet, simple gestures. Not at all like yourself who are so given to grand gestures, the flamboyant statements, the warnings, the smoke and mirrors."

Regina sounded desperate, "What did you do?" she asked again.

"Take yourself home," he directed.

Regina fluttered and postured. "You took away my ability to transport?"

Gold smiled. "That and a few other things." From the center of his palm, he produced and then held up a dark crystal. "Lovely isn't it? It's a lot like Zurie's, isn't it? I've often wondered if one of the other Dark Ones hadn't accrued powers into her Blue Crystal and then given it to her for a gift. . . or a curse."

Regina had begun to realize what he had done. "You took my powers, all my powers."

"Not quite all of them, dearie, but most of them."

"You can't do this! " She pleaded, terrified.

"I just did," he explained patiently, walking over to her. "As I said, I'm not one for big gestures. Subtle, simple. That's usually my style. Now, you are going to need some help getting back home."

He put his arms around her and she leaned into him. He patted her, comforting her, "If you are very, very good, I may return some of your powers to you. But if you displease me, I could just keep them or. . . " he considered, "I could give them to someone else."

Regina was crying into his shoulder, "Your wife?" she asked through her sobs.

"No, she has plenty of her own powers, or didn't you know that?" he asked her. "Mary Margaret or David, They could use some magic, I'm sure. Perhaps I could split the crystal." He sighed. "Until I decide what to do, I think I'll put this into a ring. It will look nice next to some of my others." He lifted her chin and kissed her softly. "Now ask me nicely and I'll get you home. You look lovely in this nightdress but would likely attract attention if you walked back through town like this."

+ + + + + _Emma has a New Idea_

Emma was up and waiting for him. She bolted out of bed and hugged him closely.

"Well," he said returning the hug. "This is nice."

"I wasn't sure if I was quick enough, if it would work, if you would be alright."

"You were, it was and I am," he answered. "She didn't back down." He sat on the side of the bed and removed his shoes and socks and began taking off his other clothes. Emma's quick eyes noticed he was wearing a new ring, silver with dark, dark crystal. He continued. "We had a little altercation. Everything is fine. I don't think Regina will be bothering us too much for awhile. Oh, since she is likely to come and tell you, I shall confess all first."

"Did you have sex with her?"

"No, but I came close. She's a very beautiful woman, Emma. We did some preliminary stuff. She did her thing with me. I did some things with my hands and my magic." He was not comfortable confessing this to his wife.

Emma wasn't pleased, and spoke sharply "OK, so you got a blow job and gave her the benefits of your magic fingers."

"Crude, Emma, but essentially correct. I felt the moment when you broke the spell, and I told her I was leaving. She didn't take it well and challenged me. So we dueled. I won."

"Is she ok?

"Do you care? Oh yeah, it's the sheriff-thing again. Yes, she's ok, but if you ask her, she would say she doesn't feel so good."

"What did you do to her?"

"I've borrowed her powers," he held up the ring. "Well, most of it. She still has a little, but she doesn't realize what she still has and what all has been taken. Plus, she still has the power of her office and her contacts."

"What will you do with her power?" Emma was fascinated by the ring.

"I will hold it in case I decide to give it back."

"You would give it back? Why, when would you do such a thing?"

"If I become convinced that she has changed. She has the potential for good, you know." Gold pulled himself into the bed, next to his wife. "You and she are a lot alike. You both had a tough time when you were younger. Regina decided to get back at everybody. You decided that you did not want to treat anyone like you had been treated. Know that her powers are pretty spectacular and there could be time that I might need her help for something. You never know. Even I can't see all possible futures."

Emma sat very quietly.

"You're thinking about something, Emma. What is it?"

"Well," Emma was hesitant. "I've done pretty well as sheriff, haven't I?"

"Yes, my dear. You've done very well."

"And your reputation, while still intact, has softened up a bit. There are an increasing number of rumors about these secret good deeds that you have done. You're becoming abit of an underground hero. You know, people are saying nice things about you, behind your back of course." She added with a little smile.

Gold frowned, "I don't know that I like that. If people like you, they aren't afraid of you anymore and if they aren't afraid, then you don't have so much power over them."

Emma shrugged. "Oh they're still afraid of you, but they are starting to wonder about you. And some are beginning to wonder if you just might be a good guy."

He got up and began to pace. "Oh no! This is all wrong. I don't want people to like me. This is your fault."

Emma was starting to laugh. "Yeah it probably is. A lot of people seem to like me. What would you think if I ran for Mayor?"

He sat back down. He sat silent for a moment. Emma was beginning to worry that he didn't approve. She could never go through with it without his support.

He looked at her and smiled. "I like it and I have a plan for how we can get you elected."

_Fin_

_Folks, I've appreciated all the wonderful comments and support, but I need to put this story to bed, at least, for awhile. _

_I'm debating doing a sequel, but not sure if there would be any interest (let me know, please)._

_I have a couple of arcs that could continue from this point. Emma running for mayor – could we possibly expect some dirty tricks? Maybe some exploration as to exactly why Rumple/Gold really, really hates the fairies. How about a friend for Henry? – I really liked sweet, little Paige/Grace (nothing romantic here– at nine, Paige has girl cooties). We also have magical talents beginning to emerge from Emma and, perhaps, Henry. Will Gold relent and restore some of Regina's powers (he doesn't totally dislike her, you know).Then there's the pregnancy to complete, which likely will have some complications (I would think that after two sons, Gold will be quite beside himself with a daughter), and, finally, will Emma guess Rumple's name, will she relent and let him out of his cage in FTL (or just continue to visit him, maybe bring him a cone from time to time?)._

_Although I have had Emma break one of the curses, we aren't ready (show-wise) to have her move on Rumple's Dagger Curse or Regina's End to All Happiness Curse. I have my own speculations of how these things might resolve (you do too, right?), but I think this is awhile away (let's hope so, shows over if she breaks the curses - we'll have a little show afterwards so all the happy couples can get back together and then it's happily ever after and goodbye). txm_


	27. Chapter 27

I've been working on the much requested sequel _to The Goblin and the Small Town Sheriff. _

If you're interested (I hope you are), please find _The Goblin and his Bride_ which I've just submitted. This story is picking up about six months after G&STS ends. It will start a bit slow, but conflicts emerge in chapter three.

Thx so much txm


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